Jeanne Moreau’s Whirl of Life
August 3, 2017
On Monday, July 31, French actress Jeanne Moreau died at her home in Paris, France. A true cinema legend, Moreau debuted on screen in 1949 and went on to star in numerous acclaimed motion pictures. Moreau was best known for her roles in films of the French Nouvelle Vague (New Wave), a cinema movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Moreau, a captivating actress and individual, was 89 years old.
Jeanne Moreau was born in Paris on Jan. 23, 1928. Moreau’s English mother was a dancer, and her French father owned a restaurant. Despite her father’s disapproval, Moreau studied drama at the Conservatoire de Paris. She first appeared on stage in 1947. In 1948, she debuted at the Comédie-Française, a famous state theater in Paris. She began appearing in films in 1949 but continued sporadically on stage into the 1990’s.
Moreau’s first memorable role was in the 1954 gangster film, Touchez pas au grisbi (Hands off the Loot). She played a femme fatale, a troublesome woman character who often causes the downfall of others around her. Moreau thrived in the role, and she played similar characters in later films. Moreau gained international notoriety in the 1958 films Les Amants (The Lovers) and Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Elevator to the Gallows). She won critical acclaim in the 1960 film Moderato Cantabile (Seven Days… Seven Nights) and in the 1961 classic, La Notte (The Night).
Moreau’s most enduring role came as Catherine in François Truffaut’s 1962 motion picture, Jules et Jim (Jules and Jim). Often considered the pinnacle of the Nouvelle Vague, the film rocketed both Moreau and Truffaut to superstar status. Moreau, who was also a talented vocalist, charmed audiences with her tender rendition of the song “Le tourbillon de la vie” (The Whirl of Life) in the film.
Also in 1962, Moreau appeared in the Orson Welles heavyweight, The Trial. (Welles called her the “greatest actress in the world.”) Moreau then starred in such classic films as Eva, La baie des anges (Bay of Angels), Le journal d’une femme de chambre (Diary of a Chambermaid), Mademoiselle,Viva Maria! and La mariée était en noir (The Bride Wore Black). Later notable films included Les valseuses (Going Places), The Last Tycoon, Querelle, La vieille qui marchait dans la mer (The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea), and Bis ans Ende der Welt (Until the End of the World).
Moreau, who also directed three films, received numerous awards over her long career. She was an officer of the Legion of Honor and the first woman inducted into the French Académie des Beaux-Arts (Academy of Fine Arts).
Offscreen, Moreau was a vivacious and outspoken person. She was politically active, and strove for equality—for women, in particular—in all aspects of life. In interviews, she revealed a sharp intelligence and never shied away from a difficult question. In her later years, Moreau’s momentum and joie de vivre (joy of living) never lessened. In 2001, she said, “The cliché is that life is a mountain. You go up, reach the top and then go down. To me, life is going up until you are burned by flames.”