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Jacqueline Bisset: "I am sad because Jean-Paul Belmondo was a truly unique man"

2021-09-09T08:12:40.913Z


The star who plays the actor's fantasized fiancée in Le Magnifique remembers with emotion this companion of a "fine humor" that she admired.


For the admirers of Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset will remain for eternity the marvelous Christine-Tatiana, the great fantasized love of Bébel -Bob Saint-Clar in

Le Magnifique

.

Read the fileDeath of Jean-Paul Belmondo, sacred monster of French cinema

The complicity of these two sacred monsters began in 1973 when the film by Philippe de Broca came out on the screens, initially titled “How to destroy the reputation of the most famous secret agent”, a barely disguised pastiche of James Bond.

Jean-Paul Belmondo therefore plays Bob Saint-Clar, a cartoon 007, and François Merlin a failed writer.

At her side, Jacqueline Bisset also plays a double role: the sculptural Tatiana and the delicious Christine, a sociology student.

Four decades later, this light comedy, which inspired, the OSS 117 of Michel Hazanavicius and Nicolas Bedos, will become a reference of the satirical parody.

To read also "The language of Belmondo no longer exists today"

From Los Angeles, where she lives, the famous English actress, whose mother was of French origin, returned in the language of Molière and sometimes in the language of Shakespeare, on "the wonderful moments she spent with Jean- Paul, during the filming of Philippe de Broca's comedy.



LE FIGARO.

- How did you react to the disappearance of Jean-Paul Belmondo?

Jacqueline BISSET.

- I'm sad, of course. I simply admired his talent as an actor but also the man. I found him funny, but very funny, ironic. He was not an ordinary person. He didn't like to follow the beaten track. In English, if I may, it sounds like “a man of his own”. How would you say in French? A truly unique man, right? At first, I had the impression that we didn't know what to say to each other on the set. And then very quickly, the ice broke because I introduced him to Ken Norton, the boxer who had beaten the great Mohammed Ali. There, I saw the gaze of Jean-Paul. He was blown away to see that I too, the little Englishwoman, could have the same interests as him. And now that you force me to remember all this, thinking of Jean-Paul,a form of melancholy comes over me.

What memories do you have of the filming of the

Magnificent

?


I remember, of course, Jean-Paul who was both a wonderful filming partner and also, I repeat, a happy companion in life. He was a loose being, always funny, who knew how to relax everyone on a set. And me, in particular who was afraid, rightly or wrongly, to play in French.



Was it difficult for you to play in our language?


Yes, it's true. Especially since I had to play two very different characters: Christine, the intellectual student who is interested in François Merlin, a novelist apparently out of date but in reality very sensitive and Tatiana, a kind of cartoon spy, the female counterpart of Bob Saint-Clar. The first role corresponded to my personality, the second was more difficult to compose. I was forced, in myself, to rethink the lines in English, to force myself to take the English accent as snobbish as possible and finally to transpose it all into French.



You seem to be saying that finally playing this light comedy was not necessarily an easy exercise ...


No, it was a joy to play in France with Belmondo,for Philippe de Broca a few short months after another great memory,

The American Night

by François Truffaut. But I repeat it even though I speak French, deep down inside, I have the impression of not always mastering all of its subtleties and that's why I was very serious on the set. Obviously, that formed a contrast with Jean-Paul who kept playing jokes. But, I must admit, with Philippe de Broca, who was a wonderful guide, the atmosphere they were able to create certainly contributed to the success of the film.



Did you think at the start of filming that this James Bond pastiche was going to become a cult film?


No, you know at first what amused me was playing in a comedy which I instinctively felt was not devoid of irony. But, I repeat to myself,it was all very intuitive.



In your career you have acted more often in dramas than in comedies. Is it a regret?


Yes and no. In reality, I like the irony, the shift. And I think the lightness suits me very well. But that's how filmmakers have imagined me more often in dramas. You know the career of an actor follows sometimes winding paths. Look at Belmondo, he started working with Godard and Melville, the best of the New Wave. And then afterwards, he played

The Man from Rio

,

Cartouche

, more popular films. In a way, by following my instinct, I followed a comparable trajectory. I played

Forbidden

(

Defense of loving

), the story of a German countess who falls in love with a Jew in Nazi Germany and then

The Magnificent

, a caricature of a James Bond.

It's the life of an actress.



During the filming of the Magnificent, Bébel celebrated his 40th birthday ...


It's a nice memory.

A beautiful feast of acrobats like Jean-Paul loved them.

The last time I saw him was 4 or 5 years ago in Los Angeles.

He still had that kidish smile that was his charm.

Le Magnifique

by Philippe de Broca in 1973, with Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset, Vittorio Caprioli, Monique Tarbès ...

Source: lefigaro

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