Robert Bresson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Bresson
Bresson c. 1960
Born	(1901-09-25)25 September 1901 Bromont-Lamothe, France
Died	18 December 1999(1999-12-18) (aged 98) Droue-sur-Drouette, France
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter
Years active	1933–1983
Spouse(s)	Leidia van der Zee (m.1926) Marie-Madeleine van der Mersch

Robert Bresson (born September 25, 1901 – died December 18, 1999) was a famous film director from France. He was known for his unique and simple way of making movies.

Bresson's films often used actors who were not professionals. He also used very little music and kept his stories focused. This made his movies great examples of minimalist film. Many of his works are known for having sad or serious stories.

Many people think Bresson was one of the best filmmakers ever. Seven of his films were chosen for a list of the 250 greatest films. These include A Man Escaped (1956), Pickpocket (1959), and Au Hasard Balthazar (1966). Another director, Jean-Luc Godard, once said that Bresson was "the French cinema."

Life and Early Career

Robert Bresson was born in Bromont-Lamothe, France. Not much is known about his early life. He went to school near Paris and then started painting. Three things that influenced his films were his Catholicism, art, and being a prisoner of war. Bresson lived in Paris, France, for much of his life.

Bresson first worked as a photographer. He made his first short film, Les affaires publiques (Public Affairs), in 1934. During World War II, he was a prisoner-of-war for over a year. This experience inspired his film A Man Escaped.

Over 50 years, Bresson made only 13 feature films. This shows how carefully he worked. It also shows that he was not focused on making popular, money-making movies. Finding money for his films was often hard.

Bresson was a very private person. One critic, Jonathan Rosenbaum, said Bresson seemed "mysterious" and "aloof." His wife, Mylene van der Mersch, often gave his instructions to the film crew.

Bresson passed away in December 1999 at his home in France. He was 98 years old. His last film, L'Argent, was made in 1983.

Filmmaking Style and Themes

Bresson wanted to make cinema different from theater. Theater often relies on actors showing strong emotions. Bresson did not like professional actors. He called his actors "models" instead. He believed that acting made films less real.

In his book Notes on the Cinematographer, Bresson explained his ideas. He wanted his "models" to repeat scenes many times. This was done until all signs of "acting" were gone. This created a simple and powerful effect. Bresson also used very little music in his films. This style greatly influenced minimalist cinema.

Film critic Roger Ebert said that Bresson's style made films "of great passion." He felt that because the actors did not show emotions, the audience could feel them more deeply.

Many people believe Bresson's Catholic background influenced his films. His movies often explored ideas like salvation and redemption. They also looked at the human soul and finding meaning beyond the physical world. For example, A Man Escaped (1956) is about a prisoner escaping. But it can also be seen as a metaphor for finding salvation.

Bresson's films also looked at problems in French society and the world. He showed sympathy for people who were victims of society. His later films, The Devil, Probably (1977) and L'Argent (1983), showed his concerns about modern society. He once said that his character Mouchette showed "misery and cruelty" found everywhere. Film historian Mark Cousins said Bresson's characters often felt "psychologically imprisoned."

In 1975, Bresson published Notes on the Cinematographer. In this book, he talked about "cinematography" as a special art form. For him, cinematography was more than just filming a play. It was about creating a new language using moving pictures and sounds.

Bresson's Legacy

Bresson is often called a "patron saint" of cinema. This is because of the strong Catholic themes in his films. It is also because of his important contributions to filmmaking. His style is known for using specific sounds with images. He also used very little music to keep the drama simple. And he famously directed non-professional actors using his "actor-model" method.

His book Notes on the Cinematographer is one of the most respected books on film theory. Bresson's ideas about film greatly influenced other filmmakers. This was especially true for the directors of the French New Wave.

Influence on French Cinema

Bresson's unique and simple style was very different from older French films. He became very respected by the founders of the French New Wave movement. He is often seen as one of the main people who influenced them. New Wave directors praised Bresson.

François Truffaut, a key New Wave director, said Bresson was one of the few true "auteurs." An auteur is a director whose personal style is clear in all their films. Jean-Luc Godard also admired Bresson greatly. He said, "Robert Bresson is French cinema."

Another director, Alain Cavalier, said Bresson was like a father figure for French cinema. He compared Bresson to Jean Renoir, saying Bresson represented strictness and Renoir represented warmth. He believed all good French cinema connects to Bresson in some way.

Filmography

Feature Films Directed by Robert Bresson

Short Films

• Les affaires publiques (Public Affairs, 1934)

Awards and Honors

Awards from the Cannes Film Festival

Awards from the Berlin Film Festival

Awards from the Venice Film Festival

Books About Robert Bresson

• Robert Bresson: A Passion for Film by Tony Pipolo (2010)
• Transcendental Style in Film: Bresson, Ozu, Dreyer by Paul Schrader
• Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson (translated from French)
• The Invention of Robert Bresson: The Auteur and His Market by Colin Burnett (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Robert Bresson para niños

• Robert Bresson Prize