If there is a film associated with Michael Lonsdale, it is
Of Men and Gods.
Very religious, the Franco-British actor had lived in Morocco.
The tragic story of the assassination of the monks of Tibhrine, in Algeria, had touched him deeply.
All the ingredients were there for him to excel in this role of Brother Luc, whom he could not refuse.
Overwhelming, his performance earned him the only César of his career, that of the best supporting male role.
What kind of actor was Michael Lonsdale?
The kind that came on sets even when he wasn't.
Because he was interested in the film.
It is very rare, among actors!
Especially since it was not easy to come on the set of
Des Hommes et des Deux.
You had to take a car, you had to climb the hills on foot.
He was not just passing by as a neighbor.
It was beautiful this desire, this curiosity coupled with self-sacrifice.
Besides, I sometimes took advantage of his presence to improvise something with Lambert Wilson.
He still accepted.
He would simply reply:
"Well, yes."
That's how I found myself putting her clothes up the hill, in an emergency, before improvising a scene.
I remember someone who was jovial, easy-going, completely integrated in his role.
Is there a particular performance in his career that caught your attention?
In
Stolen Kisses
by François Truffaut.
In one scene, he is asked if he has any enemies and he replies that not really, saying something like, “
I have a fault, I am very frank.
He hires a private investigator to figure out why we don't like him.
He was quite a loathsome character, but Michael Lonsdale played him with a second degree, with his natural humor.
Innate.
How did he receive you when you asked him to play in
Gods and Men
?
I went without seeing it without a priori.
I did not particularly know him by reputation.
For me, it was not that easy.
He had a phenomenal career, in cinema and in the theater, with very different films, by Marguerite Duras, Truffaut, and so many others!
From the
Pink Telephone
to
James Bond.
I felt like I was talking to the cinema, and when the cinema is so kind to you, we say to ourselves that it is a beautiful job, a very beautiful job ... I found it behind the Invalides, in the restaurant where he used to live, and he received me in the simplest possible way.
That was it, Michael.
He never made you think for a second that he had a big career behind him.
It wasn't his style.
To read also: Michael Lonsdale: "I try to explain what love is, and especially the love of God"
Did he hesitate before accepting your proposal?
He had played priests, even the Pope or God, and no longer thought of playing such a role.
But there, as it was about Brother Luc, he could not refuse ... Well, there was a little anxiety to get him to cut his hair, which was a bit long, but we succeeded anyway!
What memories do you have of the shooting?
It's simple, it's one of the happiest moments of my life.
Not from my professional life, but from my life in general.
It was a delight this actor.
It was very strong.
There is one scene that people really like about this movie.
The one where he explains to Sabrina Ouazani what it is to be in love.
Initially, we were supposed to film in Brother Luc's office.
But the weather was fine outside and I no longer liked the planned scene, I found it nil.
I suggested that she go outside and I told her: “
You always talk about being in love, about loving.
If Sabrina asks you the question: '' Have you ever been in love?
Does that inspire you? ''
”.
And, without him thinking about it, we shot this scene for which I hadn't written anything.
He got me something wonderful like that in two seconds.
It was so beautiful that I did not take another take.
I didn't see the point!
Did he talk to you about the film afterwards?
Yes, I think something had happened between Lambert Wilson and him.
They both got together, and he talked about it a lot afterwards.
This film was a great happiness for him who was so religious.
In addition, he had lived in Morocco where we were filming, he has a great history with this country.
In fact, his encounter with the life of Brother Luc was something quite bizarre.
As if it had to take place.
I remember when I showed the film to the families, this monk's brother came to see me at the end of the film.
He was upset by the performance of Michael Lonsdale.
Did you continue to see Michael Lonsdale regularly?
Not the last few days.
He was a little tired.
The last time I saw him, he was with Michel Legrand.
Two grown-ups leaving at the same time ... But, when I met him, he was generally quite talkative.
He could tell you about Orson Welles and two seconds later the villain of
Moonraker.
What memories will you keep of him?
I really like
Christ on
Caravaggio's
Column
, which hangs in the Rouen museum.
And on Michael's last day of shooting, I said to him:
"Here, you don't want to kiss your boyfriend,
the Christ of Caravaggio?"
So he walks past the painting, which I have a reproduction of at home, and he kisses Christ.
And there I cracked.
I was in tears, we hugged each other.
The end of a shoot with an actor is always sad, but there it was really special.