Monday, February 28, 2011

Burning In My Throat At Night

In memory of Annie Girardot


25.10.1931 - 28.02.2011

She always considered myself an optimist, and taught others to see it as a strong and confident woman. Jean Cocteau called it " finest dramatic temper of postwar theater ". In the USSR, it embodies the very France. France was a national idol: eccentric, sincere, funny, tragic, the absurd. Natural whoever played - taxi driver, the investigator, maid, teacher, killed by love for the student. Every time it wrote off from the accounts - whether in mid-1960 or mid 1980's - she returned to the life and work. Because, she says, " French cinema, perhaps, can do without me, but I am without it - I can not ". Yesterday, in his eightieth year, we went from the great French actress Annie Girardot ...


« I think that people should achieve in the lives of at least one - the ability to remain in good spirits. Sickens me to poison people with your troubles. We also know that life is very ephemeral and She had to pass on as much as possible. And it's probably because there is work, there are some fun, there's some day, best of all, have a family - a family is very important! Of course, when we look at the life of his eyes open, it is very difficult to accept it, but I try to extract the best from what I can not change, and nothing not gloss over ... I think that attracts the audience to me is this: I myself do not improve, I remain, for all its faults, and a woman recognized me as a ... And if I stalled with the movie, I'll take any ... »


" Yesterday was over, will there tomorrow, do not know, let's see. I'm free and ready everything - or nothing. I look forward serenely: there seems something light. I seem to have calmed down, packed up and waiting for the signal to leave. Sounds poppers, fluttering curtain. My granddaughter Lola is also a roving troupe of comedians, it takes me the baton. All right, or almost all. "





Madame Figaro June 2007










Biography № 10 (2008)














































Jean Marais, Annie Girardot, Luchino Visconti


woman-monkey (1963)




"You'll see, someday we'll be back to my native land ... " How beautiful these words are sounded, Luchino, when they pronounced the younger brother! Everyone understands that in the native land they do not come back ever. And who could know it better you? But how well that at the end of the movie you gave sound of that phrase, because in the movies and in life most important - it is the hope. All dreams come true, this is impossible, as impossible to go back to the edge of your childhood - that is the law of life. But every person, every viewer can hear these words, cry and reflect on them: you did us a wonderful gift, Luchino. This is the best ending, which just might be a movie. "- Excerpt from the book Annie Girardot" go, go. The power of passion "













Annie Girardot and Lino Ventura in the movie "Boat Emile"


Annie and Jean-Paul Belmondo in the movie "Man, I like "




Annie Girardot and Yves Montand in the movie "Live to Live" (1967)




Annie Girardot and director Claude Lelouch

Quote. Claude Lelouch about Annie Girardot (Excerpt from the book by K. Lelouch "minion of fortune")

"... Twice in my life I found myself right next to Annie Girardot. For the first time in nineteen years old when I worked as an intern at the shooting "The Man with the Golden Key, a film in which she played a young and promising actress. Second time while shooting "Men and women, in that terrible night, when I was desperately searching for an actress to replace without training Anouk. Remains very sensitive to those signs that sends life I feel that our meeting Annie should occur. And it probably will now take place (it is the screen test for the film by Claude Lelouch, "Live to Live"). When I am delighted to announce her name to my partners, producers and distributors, I am waiting for a cold shower.

- It can not be - they argue.

And one cruel adds:
- It was over ...

Annie Girardot was over? In 1967? I, on the contrary, it seems that she reached the pinnacle of excellence. I do not give up. To to reassure my partner, I went through all the French actresses who can more or less correspond to the heroine. And always go back to Annie Girardot. The more I think about it, the more convinced that it is - the perfect actress for this role. I propose to invite her to audition.
- Annie Girardot not offer withdrawn in the samples - meet me.
- If she is smart, it will agree - I'm saying.



I know that she is very smart. And here's the proof: Annie Girardot agrees.
Actresses gathered twenty. Known and unknown. Annie is only one of them, one of twenty contestants in the role for which they are all ready to fight. With humility, rare for an actress, for whose back is such a brilliant career, Annie agrees to participate in the game. Subjected to the test by which any other would refuse, as from the humiliation that is incompatible with its status as a movie star. The next day, while viewing these samples Annie obviously leaves behind all the other ...

... ready to "Live to live, I was convinced that the time has come to our meeting. I considered this meeting with a purely cinematic point of view. We do not know what life has made our meeting for the parentheses cinema world and unite us in love. Our history is, ironically, resembles the plot of the film "To Live, to live. " I found myself in the role of hero Yves Montand, torn between Christine - my wife, with whom he continued to live, and Annie, who was still married. It seems to me I was sentenced to a similar position. Not so long ago, I was torn between Janine and Christine. This crossroads has created "Live to live." I do not know what this film will generate a new tremor of the heart. Whatever it was, is now much more complicated, because Annie is too well known that our relationship has remained a mystery. She entered into my life through the front entrance. That is, through the lens of my camera ...

Annie first fell in love with me. I shot her for weeks. I always saw her big plan. I saw it as nobody saw. My position is the director allowed me to talk about Annie's insanely intimate things that would not dare to tell their own wife. Her beauty, her talent, her mind blinded me much stronger than others, because I was the most convenient place. Do not fall in love with Annie would have been unnatural. I, of course, he shot her with love and that love is not stopped when I stopped her to shoot. My life probably would have been a not so confusing if women in my life do not overlap with the women of my movies. But this should not even dream of. I understand that it always will be. I never knew how to separate my professional life from personal. I am not able to do it, and I do not want that. Some people do it. I do not know how they manage ... "




" Every woman its own, unpredictable fate. And she should not live without being guided by someone or someone's experience. Must be an individual. I never give advice, and indeed to them never listened. And then ... the same fate does not happen. In my life was the one and only love, only one man - Renato Salvatori. We met with him in Italy filming the movie "Rocco and His Brothers." It was true love! As for the other men ... Well, I've met in my life exciting actors and directors. They taught me better express themselves in art. But the love ... it happens only once in a lifetime. "








Annie and her daughter
























nun (1970)


spinster (1971)




Shock Treatment (1972)


Dr. Francoise Gayan (1976)


Stole the thigh of Jupiter (1980)


Gentle Police (1978)

















Michel Audiard and Annie Girardot



1998. Pierre Richard, with his old buddy Annie Girardot, with whom he had been friends for many years.
























LINKS:

To leave, to return. The strength of passion - Autobiography Annie Girardot

Quote. Annie Girardot - about his life

Annie Girardot - Part One

Annie Girardot - Part Two

Interview with Annie Girardot