Eric Rohmer: Movies & Box Office

Born Jean Marie Maurice Schérer, Éric Rohmer was often known by his pseudonym derived from the names of famous artists like Erich von Stroheim and Sax Rohmer. Born on 21st March 1920 in Tulle, France, this multi-faceted personality was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. His career started post-World War II and Rohmer was the last of the French New Wave directors to gain repute. His editorship at film journal Cahiers du cinéma from 1957 to 1963 was influential and coincided with the career transition of his contemporaries like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut. International acclaim came his way when his film 'My Night at Maud's' was nominated at the Academy Awards in 1969. His other noted works include winning the San Sebastián International Film Festival with 'Claire's Knee' in 1971 and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for 'The Green Ray' in 1986. He passed away on January 11, 2010 in Paris.

Rohmer's films were a unique blend of articulate characters and intricate narratives and his cinematic style focused on the strong link between his characters and their surroundings. Rohmer's approach to filmmaking was unusual; he did away with common elements like soundtrack music, close-up shots, and instead focused on characters talking and traveling, using natural locales and non-professional actors. Rohmer was famously averse to modern technologies and was known for his conservative political views, Catholic faith, and love for privacy. Even though Rohmer was highly regarded among his peers, who referred to him as one of the greatest directors of the 20th century, he was often misunderstood and misinterpreted by the public.