Jacques Becker facts for kids

Jacques Becker (born September 15, 1906 – died February 21, 1960) was a famous French film director and screenwriter. He made many movies in the 1940s and 1950s. His films covered different types of stories. Other directors, especially those from the French New Wave movement, really admired his work.

Life Story of Jacques Becker

Jacques Becker was born in Paris, France. His family was well-off. His father, Louis Becker, was a director for a battery company. His mother, Margaret Burns, ran a fashion house in Paris.

Jacques went to good schools in Paris. But he did not want to work in business like his father. At 18, he traveled to New York. On the ship, he met film director King Vidor. King Vidor offered him a job, but Jacques said no.

Back in France, Jacques became good friends with Jean Renoir. They had met in 1921. They both loved sports cars, jazz music, and movies. In 1929, Jacques had a small acting role in Renoir's film Le Bled. He then became Renoir's assistant for nine films in the 1930s. He also appeared briefly in some of them. For example, he played an English officer in La Grande Illusion.

Becker got his first chance to direct his own film in 1939. It was called L'Or du Cristobal. But there were problems, and he left the movie after three weeks.

When World War II started, Germany invaded France. Becker was captured and held in a prisoner-of-war camp for a year. This was a place where soldiers were kept during the war. After his release, he returned to France, which was occupied by German forces.

He made his first full movie, Dernier Atout, in 1942. A friend helped him set up an independent film company. Some of the filming happened in Nice. Becker used this chance to connect anti-Nazi filmmakers there with the French Resistance in Paris. The Resistance was a secret group fighting against the German occupation.

In 1943, Becker helped create the Comité de libération du cinéma français. This group planned for French cinema after the war. The next year, they filmed the uprising in Paris for a documentary. After France was freed, Becker supported other directors. Some had been accused of helping the enemy during the war.

Becker made two more films during the war. Goupi Mains Rouges was a story about greed and murder. Falbalas showed the world of Parisian fashion.

After the war, Becker made several funny movies. They showed the daily lives of young people in Paris. These included Antoine et Antoinette (1947) and Rendezvous de juillet (1949). He also made Édouard et Caroline (1951) and Rue de l'Estrapade (1953).

In 1952, he made Casque d'or. This was a sad love story set in the Belle Époque era. It was based on a true story about criminal gangs in Paris. At first, people did not like the film much. But after it became famous abroad, it became one of Becker's most loved movies.

Becker had another big success with Touchez pas au grisbi (1954). This movie helped Jean Gabin restart his acting career. Gabin played an older gangster. This film created a unique French style of gangster movie.

It was hard for Becker to get money for his projects. So, he made two commercial films. These were his only movies made in color. He felt he could not put his personal touch on them as much.

In 1958, Becker took over filming Montparnasse 19. The original director, Max Ophuls, died while preparing the movie. This film was about the last years of the painter Modigliani. Because of its difficult start, it remained a troubled production.

Becker returned to his personal style with Le Trou (1960). This film showed a prison escape plan in a very realistic way. It was based on a real event from 1947. Le Trou was Becker's last film. He died shortly before it was released. The movie then received some of the best reviews of his career.

Jacques Becker died in February 1960, at age 53. He was buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris. His son, Jean Becker, also became a film director. Jean helped his father on some of his later movies. Another son, Étienne Becker, was a cinematographer. In 1957, the actress Françoise Fabian became Becker's second wife.

What People Thought of Jacques Becker's Films

Jacques Becker's career as a director was quite short. He made 13 feature films before he died young. Also, his movies covered many different topics and styles. This made it hard for critics to put him into one category. Because of this, his fame has sometimes been less than other French filmmakers.

However, many other directors thought highly of him. Jean Renoir, who was his friend and assistant, called him "my brother and my son." Renoir said Becker was "lovable and eager." He called Casque d'or "one of the masterpieces of the screen."

Jean-Pierre Melville was another friend. He said Becker's support for his early films gave him the confidence to continue. Melville also shared a story about Becker's perfectionism. Becker used Melville's studio to reshoot scenes for Le Trou. He repeated takes many times until he was completely happy. Melville thought Le Trou was one of the greatest films ever.

In the 1950s, directors and critics of the French New Wave movement admired Becker. They saw him as a true "auteur." This means a genuine creator of his own films. These directors often wrote their own screenplays and directed them. Jacques Rivette worked as Becker's assistant in 1954. Jean-Luc Godard even called Becker "Brother Jacques."

François Truffaut often wrote about Becker. In a review of Touchez pas au grisbi, Truffaut said Becker's films were unique. They stood apart from all other styles. He noted that Becker's movies were known for their simple, clear storytelling. They also explored characters deeply. Truffaut wrote that Becker's work was "always elegant and dignified."

Later critics have also noticed these things. Many have pointed out Becker's attention to small details. These details helped create the mood and show more about the characters. Critics also noted that Becker focused on characters more than just the plot. He would sometimes show small, seemingly unimportant moments in his characters' lives. This made the characters feel more real.

People often say Becker's films are hard to classify. This is because they are so varied. Becker himself said he did not want to be "pigeon-holed," or put into a single box. He chose his projects carefully to avoid this.

Becker also shared his ideas about filmmaking in 1947. He believed directors should work on their own screenplays. He felt they should make their films personal. He said this years before the New Wave directors shared similar ideas.

Becker's films are seen as both classic and modern. He learned his craft as Jean Renoir's assistant on great films from the 1930s. Then, he inspired younger filmmakers in the 1950s and 1960s. His own movies often showed close-up pictures of his own time.

Filmography

Director

Assistant director

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Becker para niños