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Camille Claudel (film)

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Camille Claudel
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBruno Nuytten
Written by
  • Bruno Nuytten
  • Marilyn Goldin
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPierre Lhomme
Edited by
  • Joëlle Hache
  • Jeanne Kef
Music byGabriel Yared
Production
companies
Distributed byGaumont Distribution
Release date
  • 7 December 1988 (1988-12-07) (France)
Running time
175 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$23.7 million[1]

Camille Claudel is a 1988 French biographical drama film directed by Bruno Nuytten, based on a biography by Reine-Marie Paris, the granddaughter of Paul Claudel. The film stars Isabelle Adjani as sculptor Camille Claudel and Gérard Depardieu as Auguste Rodin, with Adjani also serving as co-producer.

Camille Claudel was released in France in 1988 and recorded 2,717,136 admissions.[1] The film received critical acclaim upon release and earned Adjani a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the second of her career.

Plot

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Set in late 19th-century France, the film follows the life of Camille Claudel, a talented young sculptor and the daughter of a wealthy but conservative family. With the support of her father, Claudel pursues her passion for sculpture, despite opposition from her devoutly Catholic mother. In the 1880s, she meets Auguste Rodin, and the two develop a close professional and romantic relationship.

As Claudel’s career progresses, she gains recognition in the art world while continuing to work closely with Rodin. However, their relationship begins to deteriorate due to Rodin’s increasing fame, his ongoing involvement with another woman, and Claudel’s growing frustrations with her lack of independence.

Following the death of her father, Claudel finds herself increasingly isolated, facing hostility from her mother and emotional strain from professional setbacks. Her mental health declines, and she becomes convinced that Rodin is sabotaging her career. Despite efforts by her brother Paul to support her, Claudel is eventually committed to a psychiatric institution, where she remains for the rest of her life.

Cast

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Production

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Principal photography began on 14 September 1987.[2]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Camille Claudel holds an approval rating of 92%, based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10.[3]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film as a compelling and emotionally resonant biographical drama, singling out Isabelle Adjani’s performance as “possessed” and “extraordinary.” He noted that while the film depicted the life of a sculptor, it was ultimately more concerned with the emotional toll of genius, ambition, and gendered social expectations.[4] Vincent Canby of The New York Times described Camille Claudel as a “visually handsome and beautifully acted drama,” highlighting Adjani’s portrayal of Claudel’s psychological unraveling as both restrained and deeply affecting.[5]

Variety praised the film’s production values and direction, calling it a “handsomely mounted biographical drama” and commending director Bruno Nuytten’s ability to capture the inner turmoil of the title character.[6] Time Out characterized the film as a “haunting and intense historical drama,” emphasizing the strong chemistry between Adjani and Gérard Depardieu and the film’s detailed evocation of 19th-century artistic life.[7]

Accolades

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Award Date of the ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Berlin International Film Festival 10–21 February 1989 Golden Bear Camille Claudel Nominated [8]
Silver Bear for Best Actress Isabelle Adjani Won
César Awards 4 March 1989 Best Film Camille Claudel Won [9]
Best Actor Gérard Depardieu Nominated
Best Actress Isabelle Adjani Won
Best Supporting Actor Alain Cuny Nominated
Best First Film Bruno Nuytten Nominated
Best Male Revelation Laurent Grévill Nominated
Best Cinematography Pierre Lhomme Won
Best Sound Guillaume Sciama, Dominique Hennequin and François Groult Nominated
Best Editing Joëlle Hache and Jeanne Kef Nominated
Best Original Music Gabriel Yared Nominated
Best Production Design Bernard Vézat Won
New York Film Critics Online 14 January 1990 Best Foreign Language Film Camille Claudel Runner-up [10]
Golden Globe Awards 20 January 1990 Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [11]
National Board of Review 26 February 1990 Top 10 Foreign Films 2nd place [12]
Academy Awards 26 March 1990 Best Actress Isabelle Adjani Nominated [13]
Best International Feature Film Camille Claudel Nominated

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Camille Claudel (1988)". JPBox-Office. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Camille Claudel".
  3. ^ "Camille Claudel". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  4. ^ "Camille Claudel movie review & film summary (1990) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  5. ^ Canby, Vincent (1989-12-22). "Review/Film; 'Camille Claudel,' a Soul's Disintegration". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  6. ^ Staff, Variety (1988-01-01). "Camille Claudel". Variety. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  7. ^ GA. "Camille Claudel". Time Out Worldwide. Archived from the original on 2025-02-17. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  8. ^ "Awards". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  9. ^ "César Awards 1989". MUBI. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  10. ^ "New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1989". MUBI. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  11. ^ Easton, Nina J. (1989-12-28). "'Fourth,' 'Harry/Sally,' 'Glory' Lead Globes Nods". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  12. ^ "1989 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
  13. ^ "The 62nd Academy Awards | 1990". www.oscars.org. 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2025-04-13.
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