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Bertrand Blier … "'an immense, non-conformist filmmaker, a passionate lover of creative freedom'
Photo: UniFrance
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The controversial and outspoken French film director Bertrand Blier, who gave Gérard Depardieu some of his best roles, has died peacefully in Paris at the age of 85, surrounded by his wife and family.
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Bertrand Blier: 'Death is the only really interesting subject'
Photo: UniFrance
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The son of actor Bernard Blier he directed Depardieu in the 1974 cult hit Les Valseuses (meaning waltzers, but also slang for testicles). The popular comedy known in English as Going Places established him as one of the most outrageous filmmakers with a trademark line in vulgar humour, no-holds barred sex and nudity.
The film which also starred Jeanne Moreau and Miou-Miou, gave Isabelle Huppert an early role while other actors with whom he collaborated on a regular basis, included Michel Blanc, Josiane Balasko and, of course, Depardieu with whom he went to make another comedy hit in 1978 Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (Préparez Vos Mouchoirs) for which he won an Oscar the following year for Best Foreign Film at the 51st Academy Awards.
He won a French Oscar, the César, for best screenplay on three separate occasions for Buffet Froid in 1980 and also with Depardieu; Our History (Notre Histoire) in 1985 and Too Beautiful For You (Trop Belle Pour Toi) in 1989 with Balasko and Depardieu in the lead roles.
As the French film industry came to learn of his loss the French Culture Minister Rachida Dati issued a statement to say: “Bertrand Blier was an immense, non-conformist filmmaker, a passionate lover of creative freedom.
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One of Bertrand Blier’s greatest hits: Les Valseuses with Patrick Dewaere, Miou-Miou and Gérard Depardieu
Photo: Courtesy of the French Film Festival UK
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“In films that reflected their time, he gave iconic roles to some of the greatest names: Jean-Pierre Marielle, Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Michel Blanc, Isabelle Huppert, Patrick Dewaere, Josiane Balasko, not forgetting his own father Bernard Blier. He was a genius of dialogue, in the tradition of Prévert and Audiard.”
Bertrand Blier was fearless in his quest to be provocative and was often accused of misogny, although he mainly declined to be draw into the fray.
In one film Calmos with Jean-Pierre Marielle and Jean Rochefort Blier was attached by women and feminists but pointed out that “it was more of a playful provocation than a deep feeling on our part.”
Born on 14 March in Boulogne-Billancourt, a Parisian suburb, Blier made his last film Heavy Duty (Convoi Exceptionnel) in 2019 starring Depardieu and Christian Clavier.
He began his career in the 1960s and before he turned 25 he had already worked as an assistant director to Georges Lautner and also on films directed by his father. His first film solo as a director was Si j’etais un espion which was conspicuously unsuccessful with less than 100,000 admissions. Les Valseuses with Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere, however, established him as a box office hit with more than 5 million admissions at the French box office.
With Heavy Duty he was back in the commercial doldrums with lack lustre reviews by the critics. Blier seemed not to care - he had already made his mark on French cinema as one of its most anti-conformist, irrevential and daring talents who once was quoted as saying that “death is the only really interesting subject”.
