Pierre Jourdan Movies

The opera La Voix Humaine concerns a woman who during the course of a desperate phone conversation attempts to convince her boyfriend to stay with her. The story was created by Jean Cocteau and the score was composed by Francis Poulenc. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

A performance of Beethoven's Fidelio is the subject of this film, which attempts to enliven the staged German-language performance at the Roman Theater at Orange by using odd camera angles and a constantly moving camera. The result was panned by both opera lovers and film critics. The London New Philharmonic Choir and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra are directed here by Zubin Mehta. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Oroveso, a Druid High Priest, gathers his people in a sacred forest and prays to their gods for help in vanquishing the Romans who have taken over Gaul. Unbeknownst to Oroveso, his daughter, Norma, a High Priestess, has for some time been the lover of Pollione, the leader of the Romans; she has, in fact, not only broken her sacred vow of chastity but has borne two children to the warrior. Norma uses her position to dissuade the Gauls from attacking the Romans, claiming that the gods have told her that the time is not favorable. Norma has also learned that Pollione has become interested in another woman, although her identity is unknown. That woman is Adalgisa, a young novice, who is unaware of the relationship between her new lover and Norma. When the truth is revealed, Adalgisa rejects Pollione, who still intends to take her back to Rome with him by force. The rejected Norma considers killing her own children, who may otherwise also be forced to go to Rome with their father. She cannot go through with this, and Adalgisa tries to intercede with Pollione on Norma's behalf, but to no avail. Furious, Norma tells the Gauls that the gods have told her that they now must strike against the enemy. Pollione is captured, and Norma offers to save his life if he will give up his new lover. When he refuses, Norma informs that Gauls that she has brought dishonor upon the temple and that it is she, not Pollione, that must be put to death. Moved by her sacrifice, Pollione chooses to die alongside her. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Britain's Bryan Forbes and France's Pierre Jourdan collaborated on the direction of the feature-length documentary I Am a Dancer. Rudolph Nureyev, the celebrated Russian ballet star who defected to the West in 1961, is the subject of the film. Seldom sitting still long enough to be interviewed for the camera, Nureyev prefers to let his dancing do his "talking." Forbes and Jourdan follow Nureyev from rehearsal hall to performance, alone and with his equally famous partner Margot Fonteyn. Originally produced for British television, I Am a Dancer was released theatrically in the US. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While his icy wife is away tending to a sick friend, Benedict Boniface (Alec Guinness) has an affair with Marcelle Cot (Gina Lollobrigida), the pretty but neglected wife of the pompous architect Henri (Robert Morley). When Henri unexpectedly returns, Marcelle and Benedict don disguises and hide out to avoid being caught by her husband. The comedy of errors allows for several sight gags and farcical bedroom situations. Peggy Mount is particularly effective as the dominating wife who makes her husband tremble with fear by her very presence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide