CAMILLE CLAUDEL

France, 1988, 174 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Depardieu, Isabelle Adjani, Alain Cuny.
Directed by Bruno Nuytten.

Camille Claudel is the story of the 19th century sculptor, the contemporary and sometime lover of August Rodin. While Rodin's reputation is strong, Camille Claudel's reputation was obscure. However, book, exhibitions and this multi-French award-winning biography have changed this. The star is Isabelle Adjani, who had the rights to the biography. She brings to life a woman with a strong sense of artistic location, iron will but an emotional fragility that ultimately destroys her collaboration with and love for Rodin and leads her to madness and 30 years in an asylum until her death in 1943. Gerard Depardieu gives yet another credible performance as Rodin.

The film is striking in its re-creation of 19th century France as well as showing the dynamic of Camille's life, her inspiration and her art. It begins almost breathlessly (as did Camille) but then slows and reflects the confusion of her searching and her collapse.

Long, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes grim, it is a stylish film by cameraman, co-writer and first-time director Bruno Nuytten. It is a forceful portrait of an artist.

1.The impact of the award-winning film? Portrait of France? French culture and people?

2.The use of Panavision photography, the re-creation of the 19th and 20th century? Paris, the countryside? The use of colour, the emphasis of greys and blues and darker tones? Colour and moods? The strong orchestrated score?

3.Editing, the initial fast pace, the slowing down, the portrait and film of Camille as reflecting the motion of her life?

4.The focus on sculpture and art, Rodin and Camille? Seeing the artists at work, their materials, the studios, models, commissions, inspiration, the physical detail of work? The art pieces by the two artists? The exhibitions?

5.Helping the audience into the world of artists, their drives, vocation, reality and unreality, creativity, relationships, the effect of the artistic gifts, madness?

6.A true story, the perspective of the film? The Claudel family? The portrait of Rodin? The background of French history at the turn of the century? Camille's decline and the postscript to the film about her confinement?

7.Isabelle Adjani's performance as Camille, the breathless opening, the girl of 20, digging the clay in the night, the intensity of her work, her friendship with Chicant, the clashes at home, the criticisms of her mother, the devotion of her father and his financial support? The friendship with Jessie and their work together? Waiting for Rodin, his visit, the reaction, his seeming rudeness? Camille going for the marble, the sculpting of the foot (and his later signing it)? Her finally throwing it into the river? The background of the academy, her teachers? Rodin and his advice? Camille and her intuition, the comments about her inner sculptors?

8.Her working, being an apprentice to Rodin, with Jessie, learning, relating to him? The Adam statues and her defiance? The visit, the posing? The affair? Their house together, the collaboration, the Calais burghers? The jealousies? The presence of Rose and the provocation? Her father, love for him, his free thinking, financial support? Defence against her mother and her moods? Her love for her brother, dominating him, their closeness, his intensity? Louise and her ordinariness, engagement and marriage?

9.Her success, her work, achievement? The love and the pregnancy? Her decision about the child, the abortion and her telling Paul? Her asking Rodin to marry her, his hesitation and refusal? Her not going to Calais? The enmity with Rodin, the fights, the meeting and the discussions about the Balzac statue? Her going into seclusion, finance from her family, working, drinking? The neighbours, the little boy? Her wanting a commission for the Fair of 1900? Her exhibition, the support of Eugene Blot(?)? Seeing Rodin in the street? The madness of her dressing for the exhibition? No works being sold? Paul and his praise of her work, the critic of Rodin?

10.Her father's death, the passing of the years. the funeral, her madness, her mother's desperation, the documents to confine her, her smashing all her artwork - and hesitation with Chicante? Taken away? 30 years, the nature of her mania? Blaming Rodin?

11.The portrait of Rodin, his reputation, a master of sculpture, brusque manner, the models and his getting them to pose, ideas and creativity? His response to Camille, the sculpture of the foot, his not saying anything? His work, her being an apprentice, the Gate of Hell? Her defiance? Her using his models, shaping the model and her own ideas? The women in his life and reputation, Rose and her hold over him? The beginning of the affair, the visit to her home? The collaboration, the burghers of Calais? His not marrying her, his own success, his drying up of inspiration, the clash and the separation? His relationship with Rose and staying with her?

12.Paul Claudel and his place in the family, Camille's dominating of him, his father and ambitions, the closeness of the children, his education, melancholy, discovering religion, God, changing, writing poetry, Rodin and the discovery of the busts of Camille, his getting a diplomatic job, travels round the world, his career, visits, his verse? His comments at the art exhibition? His father reading his son's work and disappointed with Camille? His memoirs of his sister?

13.Monsieur Claudel and his background, work, the mother and her tantrums, the money for Camille, his pride, the scrapbook? Paul's poems? His death, his wife's reaction, bewilderment at Camille? The contrast with Louise and the ordinariness of her life?

14.Rose, the long relationship with Rodin,, her age, love, possessive, the visit to the Claudel household posing as Rodin's wife, her wanting to go to Victor Hugo's funeral? Spying on Camille, the physical attack?

15.Chicante and his friendship, his love for Camille? Love for Victor Hugo? The poses, Rodin giving her a lesson with Chicante posing? His bust? The significance of Victor Hugo, his ideas and ideals, his funeral and the effect on Chicante, on Rodin?

16.The world of art, the workers in the studios, the managers, the entrepreneurs, commissions, Eugene Blot and his support of Camille, the exhibition? The people at the exhibition - curiosity and gossip?

17.Jessie, the friendship, the sharing in Camille's early life?

18.Portrait of a woman, in her times, creativity, portrait of an artist?