Camille Claudel (film)

Camille Claudel is a 1988 French biographical drama film about the life of 19th-century sculptor Camille Claudel. The film was based on the book by Reine-Marie Paris, granddaughter of Camille's brother, the poet and diplomat Paul Claudel. It was directed by Bruno Nuytten, co-produced by Isabelle Adjani, and starred her and Gérard Depardieu. The film had a total of 2,717,136 admissions in France. Adjani was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role, the second in her career.

Premise
The film recounts the troubled life of French child prodigy sculptor Camille Claudel and her long relationship with the married sculptor Auguste Rodin. Claudel was the daughter of a devoutly Catholic, socialite mother and a wealthy French businessman. While the latter was sympathetic to her highly iconoclastic, secular art, her mother found it odious.

Beginning in the 1880s, with the young Claudel's first meeting with Rodin, the film traces the development of their intense romantic bond. The growth of this relationship coincides with the rise of Claudel's career as she overcomes prejudices against female artists.

However, their romance soon sours due to the increasing pressures of Rodin's fame and his love for another woman. After Claudel's father dies, she's at the mercy of her mother's ire. These difficulties combine with her increasing doubts about the value of her work, driving Claudel into emotional tumult.

While her zealot mother wants her institutionalized, her sympathetic brother tries to comfort her and promote her artwork. The film contributes to a broader exploration of mental illness in films, depicting Camille Claudel's emotional tumult and the societal challenges she faced.

Cast

 * Isabelle Adjani as Camille Claudel
 * Gérard Depardieu as Auguste Rodin
 * Laurent Grévill as Paul Claudel
 * Alain Cuny as Louis-Prosper Claudel
 * Madeleine Robinson as Louise-Athanaïse Claudel
 * Philippe Clévenot as Eugène Blot
 * Katrine Boorman as Jessie Lipscomb
 * Maxime Leroux as Claude Debussy
 * Danièle Lebrun as Rose Beuret
 * François Berléand as Doctor Michaux

Production
Principal photography began on 14 September 1987.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregated score of 92% based on 12 reviews, and an average rating of 8.4/10.

Awards

 * 1989 – nominated for two Academy Awards
 * Academy Award for Best Actress
 * Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
 * 1989 – received five César Awards, including Best Film and Best Actress
 * 1989 – Isabelle Adjani received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival