History Creator / AlainResnais

His first feature film began as a commission to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was ''Film/HiroshimaMonAmour'', which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It is considered one of the defining films of the time and has been called the equivalent of "''Film/{{The Birth of a Nation|1915}}'' for French cinema". His next film would be ''Film/LastYearAtMarienbad'', which both polarized viewers and became an international success being seen as "the arthouse film" or as Creator/PaulineKael defined it, "come dressed as the sick soul of Europe party". Modern viewers might note it for being a film Don Draper sees in ''Series/MadMen''. These films inspired works such as ''Film/PointBlank'', ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' and several of Creator/PeterGreenaway and Creator/StevenSoderbergh's films. Resnais' later films are relatively obscure in the Anglophone but are likewise considered masterpieces by those who have seen them. He did enjoy one later popular international success with ''Film/MonOncleDAmerique'' which has his quirky experimental style and wit.

* ProductionPosse: He's frequently worked with actors Creator/PierreArditi and Sabine Azéma.

* ''Vous n'avez encore rien vu'' ("You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", 2012)

* ''Same Old Song'' ("On connaît la chanson", 1997)

* BigNameFan: Several of them, but Creator/AlfredHitchcock was a big one and the feeling was mutual. Cinephiles note that Resnais included a cardboard silhouette of Hitchcock in ''Last Year at Marienbad'' (visible in the 12 minute mark on the right side of the screen).

His first feature film began as a commission to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was ''Film/HiroshimaMonAmour'', which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It is considered one of the defining films of the time and has been called the equivalent of "''Film/{{The Birth of a Nation|1915}}'' for French cinema". His next film would be ''Film/LastYearAtMarienbad'', which both polarized viewers and became an international success being seen as "the arthouse film" or as Creator/PaulineKael defined it, "come dressed as the sick soul of Europe party". Modern viewers might note it for being a film Don Draper sees in ''Series/MadMen''. These films inspired works such as ''Film/PointBlank'', ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' and several of Creator/PeterGreenaway and Creator/StevenSoderbergh's films. Resnais' later films are relatively obscure in the Anglophone but are likewise considered masterpieces by those who have seen them. He did enjoy one later popular international success with ''Mon Oncle d'Amerique'' which has his quirky experimental style and wit.

His first feature film began as a commission to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was ''Film/HiroshimaMonAmour'', which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It is considered one of the defining films of the time and has been called the equivalent of "Film/TheBirthOfANation for French cinema". His next film would be ''Film/LastYearAtMarienbad'', which both polarized viewers and became an international success being seen as "the arthouse film" or as Creator/PaulineKael defined it, "come dressed as the sick soul of Europe party". Modern viewers might note it for being a film Don Draper sees in ''Series/MadMen''. These films inspired works such as ''Film/PointBlank'', ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' and several of Creator/PeterGreenaway and Creator/StevenSoderbergh's films. Resnais' later films are relatively obscure in the Anglophone but are likewise considered masterpieces by those who have seen them. He did enjoy one later popular international success with ''Mon Oncle d'Amerique'' which has his quirky experimental style and wit.

His first feature film began as a commission to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was ''Film/HiroshimaMonAmour'', which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It is considered one of the defining films of the time and has been called the equivalent of "Film/TheBirthOfANation for French cinema". His next film would be ''Film/LastYearAtMarienbad'', which both polarized viewers and became an international success being seen as "the arthouse film" or as Pauline Kael defined it, "come dressed as the sick soul of Europe party". Modern viewers might note it for being a film Don Draper sees in ''Series/MadMen''. These films inspired works such as ''Film/PointBlank'', ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' and several of Creator/PeterGreenaway and Creator/StevenSoderbergh's films. Resnais' later films are relatively obscure in the Anglophone but are likewise considered masterpieces by those who have seen them. He did enjoy one later popular international success with ''Mon Oncle d'Amerique'' which has his quirky experimental style and wit.

* OneOfUs: Resnais was a huge fan of comic books. He actually owned the largest private collection in all of France. He also liked television shows such as Series/TheXFiles.

* ''Night and Fog'' (see above, 1956)

* ''Statues Also Die'' ("Les Statues meurent aussi", co-directed with Chris Marker, 1953)

* ''Film/MonOncleDAmerique'' (1980)

He started his career doing documentary shorts, winning an Oscar early on for a documentary on ''Van Gogh''. He came to fame for his unique documentary shorts of TheFifties which are seen as anticipating the genre of the "film-essay": including ''Toute la Memoire de la Monde'' shot in Paris's National Library, followed with ''Les Statues Meurent Aussi'' (co-directed with Chris Marker of ''Film/LaJetee'' fame) a documentary that attracted controversy for its fierce denunciation of French colonialism. However, the most famous of these films is ''Night and Fog'', the first major documentary on the Holocaust, notable for juxtaposing archival footage with shots of the camps 10 years later. It pioneered several new techniques and was called the greatest film ever made by Creator/FrancoisTruffaut, it would go on to inspire many later films, including Claude Lanzmann's ''Film/{{Shoah}}''.

His first feature film began as a commission to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was Film/HiroshimaMonAmour, which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It is considered one of the defining films of the time and has been called "Film/TheBirthOfANation of French cinema." His next film would be Film/LastYearAtMarienbad, which both polarized viewers and became an international success being seen as "the arthouse film" or as Pauline Kael defined it, "come dressed as the sick soul of Europe party". Modern viewers might note it for being a film Don Draper sees in ''Series/MadMen''. These films inspired works such as ''Film/PointBlank, Film/{{Petulia}}'' and several of Creator/PeterGreenaway and Creator/StevenSoderbergh's films. Resnais' later films are relatively obscure in the Anglophone but are likewise considered masterpieces by those who have seen them. He did enjoy one later popular international success with ''Mon Oncle d'Amerique'' which has his quirky experimental style and wit.

!! Selected Filmography
* ''Toute le memoire de la Monde''
* ''Les Statues meurent aussi'' (co-directed with Chris Marker)
* ''Night and Fog''
* ''Film/HiroshimaMonAmour''
* ''Film/LastYearAtMarienbad''
* ''Muriel''
* ''Je t'aime, Je t'aime''
* ''Stavisky...'' (starring Creator/JeanPaulBelmondo with music by Music/StephenSondheim).
* ''Providence'' (his only English language film, with Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, Ellen Burstyn).
* ''Film/MonOncleDAmerique''
* ''Same Old Song''
* ''Coeurs''
* ''Vous n'avez encore rien vu'' (You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet)

* ''Stavisky...'' (starring Creator/JeanPaulBelmondo with music by Creator/StephenSondheim).

Resnais' distinct trademark made its appearance in these films, his unique approach to editing, camera movement, unconventional use of voice-over (they are often ''poetic'' and suggestive and don't tell the story or character motivations). He also edited the works of other film-makers, including Creator/AgnesVarda's ''La Pointe court''. Although he would later be associated with the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave, Resnais, along with Varda, Jacques Demy, Chris Marker are seen as belonging to the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) group. They were all politically on the left (the New Wave boys contrary to their rebellious bad boy reputation were actually BourgeoisBohemian and apolitical at the start, only tilting left later). Resnais freely associated with France's literary and cultural scene. This is apparent in the fact that many of his screenwriters are a "who's who" of France's post-war experimental writers: Alain-Robbe Grillet, Marguerite Duras, Raymond Queneau, Jorge Semprun, among many many others.

Resnais' distinct trademark made its appearance in these films, his unique approach to editing, camera movement, unconventional use of voice-over (they are often ''poetic'' and suggestive and don't tell the story or character motivations). He also edited the works of other film-makers, including Agnes Varda's ''La Pointe court''. Although he would later be associated with the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave, Resnais, along with Varda, Jacques Demy, Chris Marker are seen as belonging to the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) group. They were all politically on the left (the New Wave boys contrary to their rebellious bad boy reputation were actually BourgeoisBohemian and apolitical at the start, only tilting left later). Resnais freely associated with France's literary and cultural scene. This is apparent in the fact that many of his screenwriters are a "who's who" of France's post-war experimental writers: Alain-Robbe Grillet, Marguerite Duras, Raymond Queneau, Jorge Semprun, among many many others.

* TheMuse: Sabine Azema, Resnais's second wife, who acted in most of his later films.

* ''Film/LastNightAtMarienbad''

Alain Resnias (June 3, 1922 - March 1, 2014) was a French film director.

He started his career doing documentary shorts, winning an Oscar early on for a documentary on Van Gogh. However, the most famous of these films is Night and Fog, a Holocaust documentary which pioneered several new techniques and was called the greatest film ever made by Creator/FrancoisTruffaut.

At one point he was commissioned to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was Film/HiroshimaMonAmour, which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It is considered one of the defining films of the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave and has been called "Film/TheBirthOfANation of French cinema."

His next film would be Film/LastYearAtMarienbad, which would polarize viewers due to its surreal nature. However, it was widely praised by the surrealists.

About midway through his career, Resnais shifted his focus from politically oriented to dramas, to lighter, more comedic films that were celebrations of popular culture. Despite their lighter tone, these films were still formally adventurous and Resnais would continue to innovate until his death at the age of 91.

* PostModernism: Almost every single one of his films. Whereas most artists start with a character or a plot and develop their film from there, Resnais noted that he usually started with a form.

At one point he was commissioned to make a short documentary on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but Resnais instead made it a fiction film that was feature length. This was Film/HiroshimaMonAmour, which invented the technique of intercutting scenes with brief flashbacks to suggest a short flash of memory. It considered one of the defining films of the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave and has been called "Film/TheBirthOfANation of French cinema."

PostModernism: Almost every single one of his films. His films are as famous for their forms as for their content.