Their First Films
2004
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Jean-Pierre Melville
Director & actor · born 20 October 1917 · Paris, France
Jean-Pierre Grumbach (20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973), known professionally as Jean-Pierre Melville (French: [mɛlvil]), was a French filmmaker. Considered a spiritual father of the French New Wave, he was one of the first fully-independent French filmmakers to achieve commercial and critical success. His works include the crime dramas Bob le flambeur (1956), Le Doulos (1962), Le Samouraï (1967), and Le Cercle Rouge (1970), and the war films Le Silence de la mer (1949) and Army of Shadows (1969).
Melville's subject matter and approach to filmmaking was heavily influenced by his service in the French Resistance during World War II, during which he adopted the pseudonym 'Melville' as a tribute to his favorite American author Herman Melville. He kept it as his stage name once the war was over.
Where to start: Army of Shadows (1969).
As director 15
Un Flic
1972 · 6.6/10
Popcorn Flick
Le Cercle Rouge
1970 · 7.6/10
Worth the Hype
Army of Shadows
1969 · 7.9/10
Absolute Cinema
Le Samouraï
1967 · 7.8/10
Worth the Hype
Le Deuxième Souffle
1966 · 7.7/10
Worth the Hype
Magnet of Doom
1963 · 6.3/10
Popcorn Flick
Le Doulos
1962 · 7.4/10
Worth the Hype
Léon Morin, Priest
1961 · 7.1/10
Worth the Hype
Two Men in Manhattan
1959 · 6.4/10
Popcorn Flick
Bob le Flambeur
1956 · 7.3/10
Worth the Hype
When You Read This Letter
1953 · 5.9/10
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The Strange Ones
1950 · 6.6/10
Popcorn Flick
The Silence of the Sea
1949 · 7.5/10
Worth the Hype
24 Hours in the Life of a Clown
1946 · 6.2/10
NewAs actor 19
Delon-Melville, la solitude de deux samouraïs
2024 · 7.5/10
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Les Rois de la comédie
2023 · 6.3/10
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Belmondo: The Incorrigible
2022 · 7.8/10
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Melville, le dernier samouraï
2020 · 7.4/10
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Alain Delon, l'ombre au tableau
2019 · 6.7/10
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Lino Ventura, la part intime
2018 · 7.9/10
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Belmondo, le magnifique
2017 · 7.3/10
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Code Name: Melville
2010 · 6.7/10
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Urgent ou à quoi bon exécuter des projets puisque le projet est en lui-même une jouissance suffisante
1977 · 7.0/10
NewJean-Pierre Melville: Portrait in 9 Poses
Jean-Pierre Melville: Portrait in 9 Poses
1971 · 7.7/10
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Bluebeard
1963 · 6.4/10
Popcorn Flick
Le Combat dans l'île
1962 · 6.8/10
Popcorn Flick
Sign of the Lion
1962 · 7.0/10
Worth the Hype
Breathless
1960 · 7.5/10
Worth the HypeTwo Men in Manhattan
1959 · 6.4/10
Popcorn Flick
A Girl in a Pocket
1957 · 5.0/10
NewBob le Flambeur
1956 · 7.3/10
Worth the Hype
Orpheus
1950 · 7.7/10
Worth the Hype24 Hours in the Life of a Clown
1946 · 6.2/10
NewFrequently asked questions
What is the best Jean-Pierre Melville movie?
By viewer score, Army of Shadows (1969) at 7.9/10.
What are Jean-Pierre Melville’s most popular movies?
Breathless, Le Samouraï, Army of Shadows.
How many movies has Jean-Pierre Melville made?
34 films on TMDB, 15 as director, 19 as actor.