Michel Ciment, a mighty French film critic, hath set sail on his final voyage at the age of 85.
2023-12-15
Avast ye maties! This chap, he be a true pioneer o' the silver screen, shapin' cinema into a treasure o' high art fer all them moviegoers an' filmmakers. Yar, some scallywags be vexed by his love fer Hollywood, but that didn't sway his course!
In the 17th century, there was a swashbuckling lad who sailed the seas of cinema, leaving a trail of awe and admiration in his wake. His name, my mateys, was François Truffaut. This salty dog of a filmmaker had a knack for turning moving pictures into high art, captivating audiences far and wide with his cinematic treasures.Truffaut, known as the captain of the French New Wave, brought a certain je ne sais quoi to the world of film. He gallantly waved his director's cutlass and declared that movies could be more than just mindless entertainment. No, my hearties, they could be a form of artistic expression, a feast for the senses.
But here's the thing, me buckos: Truffaut had a soft spot for those Hollywood scallywags. While his fellow French filmmakers harped on about the importance of the French cinema, Truffaut couldn't resist the allure of Tinseltown. It was like a siren's song, luring him towards the glitz and glamour of the American film industry.
Oh, how it tickled the fancy of his fellow Frenchmen! They were aghast, they were scandalized, they were downright flabbergasted that their beloved captain dared to show admiration for the land across the pond. Some even accused him of betraying his own kind, of turning his back on the art of French cinema.
But let me tell you something, my hearties. Truffaut was a man of many colors, and he believed in the power of cinema, no matter where it hailed from. He saw the beauty in the works of Hollywood, and he wanted to share that beauty with the world. That's what made him a true pioneer, a trailblazer of his time.
So, raise your mugs of rum to François Truffaut, the pirate of the silver screen. He may have ruffled a few feathers with his love for Hollywood, but he helped shape cinema into the high art it is today. And for that, we owe him a debt of gratitude, me hearties.