This week I had the opportunity to visit a French brasserie here in the Czech capital, the site for the launch of a new Czech book about famous French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Written by JiĹà Žåk, the new book examines Belmondoâs life and career. Mr Žåk, an actor himself, explains that Belmondoâs films, from Over 26,100 foreigners granted Czech citizenship since 2001 ...
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âI think it goes back to even before the war, when Czech modernism, with representatives such as Nezval and Teige, was influenced by French literature. It was a fascination tied to Cubism and Surrealism and more. always the sense that the Czechs and the French are very similar. I donât necessarily think that we are, and Iâm not sure how it came about, but it is true that cultural ties between us have always been strong. Under Communism, French films were among the few Western products which made it into Czechoslovakia, contrasting films from the Soviet bloc.â
As far as Belmondo himself is concerned, the reasons for appreciation are pretty clear-cut:
âBelmondo was always appreciated as a âtypeâ. He was liked, for one, because he always came across as very natural, in his style and abilities. Men tended to see him as a hero, women, as a sex symbol.â
VojtÄch Rynda, a film critic for the daily LidovĂŠ noviny, agrees:
âWho wouldnât love him?! Women loved him because he was handsome, albeit in a rough kind of way and men loved him because he did all those crazy kinds of things in his movies. The other reason might be that back in the Communist era Belmondoâs movies, films like The Man from Rio and The Man from Acapulco, were pretty much as close as one could get to Western action cinema.â
And, says author JiĹà Žåk, Belmondo, now in his mid-70s, was popular for other reasons as well.
âHe always stylised himself as a âcommonâ actor, a man of the people, a Parisian actor and so on. Godardâs films like Pierrot le Fou perhaps pushed things a little too far, making him less accessible. I think that Belmondo strived for new expression and new ways to reach his audience.â
Dozens of fans and film and music personalities attended the launch of the new book, an event complete with a live performance by Jana MusilovĂĄ the star of a number of Czech musicals â who, by the way, is also known for having dubbed Agent Scully in the Czech version of the X-Files a few years back. She sang a number of chansons at the event, including Edith Piaffâs La Vie en Rose.
Afterwards, I asked author JiĹà Žåk how difficult it was to write his version of Belmondoâs story.
âThe book was a pleasure for me to write. Normally, Iâm not that interested in actors: Iâm an actor myself and know actors and the surroundings very well. If Iâm going to write about someone, there has to be something deeper, artistic or philosophical. I saw him on stage and Belmondo was a fantastic theatre actor: and it was incredible. But I met him personally only once. I had wanted to make a film with him. I had worked on a documentary with Robert Hossein (Jeoffrey de Peyrac in the Angelique series), who was Belmondoâs close friend. But I never had a chance to ask Belmondo. Shortly afterwards the actor fell seriously ill, after a heart attack and a stroke.â
Over the course of his career, Belmondo has starred in countless memorable films that have their place in film history and a special place in Czech hearts. But for JiĹà Žåk, the most important is still one of Belmondoâs first, his role as Michel Poiccard, a small time gangster in Paris in love with the pretty Jean Seberg. The film was Jean-Luc Godardâs Breathless.
âI think that the key most important film in Belmondoâs career was âA Bout de Souffleâ (Breathless). Films he did later were more commercial, involving numerous script writers, directors, many friends. The key picture was Breathless.â
Czech actor JiĹĂ Krampol, who dubbed Belmondo in an incredible 27 films, agrees.
âThis movie was one of the best in Belmondoâs life, the beginning of his success. He had other good films too, many comedies, but Breathless was absolutely great.â
JiĹĂ Krampol was an honorary guest at Thursdayâs book launch â no launch could be complete without him. He also discussed what he considers to have been one of the more interesting of Belmondoâs later roles, one in which he played âhimselfâ. The film was called Les Acteurs:
âThe last movie with Belmondo in Czech was called Old Actors Must Die. In the movie he played something like a homeless man with a bottle of wine, without anyone knowing who he was. It was Belmondo as Belmondo.â
Film critic VojtÄch Rynda says that dubbing Belmondo is something for which Mr Krampol is most recognised.
âWhen he was his surrogate voice that was back in the times that are referred to as âThe Golden Age of Czech dubbingâ. This was especially true for overdubbing in French movies. JiĹĂ Krampol did pretty much all of Belmondoâs movies and he is definitely more famous for his voice than for his own acting career. He acted in many poor Czech films; on the other hand, having dubbed Belmondo, everybody knows his voice in the Czech Republic.â
Still, Mr Krampol was not the only Czech actor to dub Belmondo. Author JiĹà Žåk explains:
âThe first to dub the actor in Czech was Jan TĹĂska. He was exceptional. But he left Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and a replacement was needed. JiĹĂ Krampol took over and did a great job. Jan TĹĂska and JiĹĂ Krampol were both exceptional in voicing Belmondo.â
JiĹà Žåk says that the Americans had Newman and Redford but in Europe in the â70s the biggest stars were French. Judging by the number of those in attendance at the launch this week, Jean-Paul Belmondo remains as much as star in the Czech Republic now, as during his heyday.
(radio-Prague)
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