RAPPENEAU, JEANPAUL

(1932- )

Director and screenwriter. Rappeneau started as an assistant to Raymond Bernard and Jean Dréville. He worked as a screenwriter forYves Robert,Louis Malle, andPhillippe de Broca. His most successful feature to date is theheritage filmCyrano de Bergerac(1990), an adaptation of Edmond Rostand's nineteenth-century play. The film won tenCésarAwards, including Best Director, Best Film, Best Actor (Gérard Depardieu), and Best Cinematography. It later received a "César of Césars" at the twentieth anniversary of the César Awards in 1995. Rappeneau's first film was a short titledChronique provinciale(1958). His feature debut,La vie de château(1966), starredCatherine Deneuveand won thePrix Louis-Delluc. Rappeneau has often worked with major French celebrities includingJean-Paul BelmondoinLes mariés de l'an II(1971),Yves Montandand Deneuve inLe sauvage(1975),Isabelle Adjaniand Montand inTout feu,tout flamme(1982),Juliette Binochein the heritage filmLe hussard sur le toit(1995), and Adjani and Depardieu inBon voyage(2002).Le sauvage,Le hussard sur le toitandBon voyagewere all nominated for Césars for Best Director, andLe hussard sur le toitwas also nominated for Best Film.