Jacques Champreux Movies
- 2004
- Add Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinematheque to QueueAdd Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinematheque to top of Queue
Henri Langlois was, in many respects, the ultimate film fan. In 1936, at the age of 22, Langlois became (along with Jean Mitry and Georges Franju) one of the founders of the Cinémathèque Française, a theater and museum devoted to preserving the history of the motion picture. Initially a tiny operation financed by private funds, the Cinémathèque, with time, grew into Europe's most important film archive, collecting and preserving prints of rare films from all over the world and protecting many rare gems of the French cinema from destruction during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Langlois' enthusiasm for sharing the treasures of his collection with others helped spawn a film-crazy generation who created the French New Wave of the '50s, and in time, the French government acknowledged the importance of the Cinémathèque's work by financing their endeavors. In 1968, the French minister of culture, André Malraux, responded to Langlois' difficult personality and sloppy bookkeeping by pulling the government's financing of his projects, which led to an international outcry leading to the shutdown of the Cannes Film Festival by activists and film buffs. The Cinémathèque's funding and Langlois' leadership were later restored, and in 1973, his work in film preservation was honored with a special Academy Award. Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque is a documentary which chronicles the life, times, and passions of the legendary archivist and includes interviews with his friends, contemporaries, and colleagues -- including Claude Berri, Claude Chabrol, Jack Valenti, and Daniel Cohn-Bendit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henri Alékan, Jo Amorin, (more)
- 1978
When his fellow villagers and tribesmen are sorely in need of funds to see them through a drought, the young man in this story is sent by his Senegalese village to find his brother in Paris, get work, and send the money back to the village so that they can buy food. However, the boy is completely ignorant of the ways of the world, and one difficulty follows another until his tragic demise just after reaching Paris. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidiki Bakaba, Doura Mane, (more)
- 1974
- PG
When a master thief (Jacques Champreux) sets his sights on the centuries-old treasure of the Knights Templar, he must struggle to outwit the devoted keepers of the fortune. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gayle Hunnicutt, Jacques Champreux, (more)
- 1973
The Man Without A Face is an archvillain, comic-book style, and in this French action movie, he proves to be a worthy foe. The villain has an extensive crime network, including a retreat under the streets of Paris. He has discovered that the Knights Templar, outlawed many hundreds of years before, still exist as a secret society, and that they have access to a hidden treasure of gold. He wants it, and it is up to the daughter of a murdered Templar and a few none-too competent policemen to prevent him from getting it. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
This French film is one of the many efforts to film Jules Verne's novel, Mysterious Island. Here Captain Nemo is Omar Sharif, a seriously misanthropic man, who hides near a tropical island in his fabulous submarine. Flying in on a balloon are a number of refugees from a military dictatorship. The heroes of the story escape as Nemo battles pirates and an erupting volcano. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omar Sharif, Philippe Nicaud, (more)
- 1965
A couple finds that their love is not accepted by society in the land of liberty, fraternity, and equality in this drama. Françoise (Françoise Giret) is a college student who is friendly with a group of idealistic bohemians living together in a Paris flat. An artist living with the beats introduces Françoise to Daniel (Gordon Heath), a medical student she spotted at a student cafeteria. Françoise is quite taken with Daniel, who is bright, friendly, compassionate, and handsome. However, Daniel is also black, and while Françoise, who is white, is not concerned with his race, she discovers not everyone around her is so open-minded. After several months together, Françoise discovers she's pregnant; her parents are shocked and demand that she have an abortion, and Daniel isn't certain what they should do, though his brave actions after a young black boy is abused by the police help her make up her mind. More thoughtful and less exploitive than its American release title would lead one to expect My Baby Is Black (released in France as Les Laches Vivent d'Espoir) was written and directed by Claude Bernard-Aubert. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1963
The characters and plot convolutions of the classic silent French serial Judex are thrust into a 1960s framework in this Georges Franju concoction. Channing Pollock plays a mysterious masked avenger who kidnaps evil-banker Michel Vitold, then sets about to turn the banker's friends and loved ones against him. At first appearing to be as wicked as his captive, Pollock is actually motivated by familial love: his father had been driven to suicide by Vitold. Pollock is successful in destroying his enemy, adding spice to the program by wedding Vitold's daughter Edith Scob. In keeping with the spirit of the original serial, Pollock pops in and out of the plotline decked out in impenetrable disguises. As with his earlier horror film Eyes without a Face (1960), director Franju invests his two-dimensional material in Judex with three-dimensional characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Channing Pollock, Francine Bergé, (more)
