Anouk Aimée - Wikipedia
Anouk Aimée - Wikipedia
Anouk Aimée - Wikipedia
Anouk Aimée
Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus[1] (27 April 1932 –
Anouk Aimée
18 June 2024), known professionally as Anouk Aimée
(French: [anuk ɛme]) or Anouk, was a French film actress who
appeared in 70 films from 1947 until 2019. Having begun her
film career at age 14, she studied acting and dance in her early
years, besides her regular education. Although the majority of
her films were French, she also made films in Spain, the
United Kingdom, Italy and Germany, along with some
American productions.
Aimée was known for her "striking features" and beauty, and Spouses Edouard
considered "one of the hundred sexiest stars in film history," Zimmermann
(m. 1949; div. 1950)
according to a 1995 poll conducted by Empire magazine.[3] She
often portrayed a femme fatale with a melancholy aura. In the Nikos Papatakis
1960s, Life magazine commented: "after each picture her (m. 1951; div. 1954)
enigmatic beauty lingered" in the memories of her audience, Pierre Barouh
and called her "the Left Bank's most beautiful resident."[4] (m. 1966; div. 1969)
Albert Finney
Early years (m. 1970; div. 1978)
Children 1
Aimée was born in Paris to actor Henri Murray (born Henry
Dreyfus; 30 January 1907 – 29 January 1984)[3] and actress Geneviève Sorya (née Durand; 23
June 1912 – 23 March 2008). According to one historian, although some have speculated that her
background may be related to Captain Alfred Dreyfus, this has never been confirmed.[3] Her father
was Jewish, whereas her mother was Roman Catholic. She was raised Catholic but later converted
to Judaism as an adult.[3][5]
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Her early education took place at l'École de la rue Milton, in Paris; École de Barbezieux;
Pensionnat de Bandol; and Institution de Megève. She studied dance at Marseille Opera. During
World War II she was a pupil at Mayfield School, East Sussex, but left before taking final exams.
She studied theatre in England, after which she studied dramatic art and dance with Andrée
Bauer-Thérond.[6]
Career
Aimée (then still Françoise Dreyfus) made her film debut, at
the age of fourteen, in the role of Anouk in La Maison sous la
mer (The House Under the Sea, 1946), and she kept the name
afterwards. Jacques Prévert, while writing Les amants de
Vérone (The Lovers of Verona, 1949) specifically for her,
suggested she take the symbolic last name Aimée, "that would
forever associate her with the affective power of her screen
Anouk Aimée in 8½, 1963
roles."[3] In French, it means "beloved."[4][7]
Among her films were Alexandre Astruc's The Crimson Curtain (Le Rideau Cramoisi, 1953),
Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960), Fellini's 8½ (1963), Jacques Demy's Lola (1961), André
Delvaux's One Night... A Train (Un Soir, un Train, 1968), George Cukor's Justine (1969), Bernardo
Bertolucci's Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981), Robert Altman's Prêt à Porter (Ready to Wear,
1994), and Claude Lelouch's A Man and a Woman (Un Homme et une femme, 1966) — described
as a "film that virtually reignited the lush on-screen romance in an era of skeptical modernism."[3]
Words like "regal," "intelligent", and "enigmatic" are frequently associated with her, notes one
author, giving Aimée "an aura of disturbing and mysterious beauty" that earned her the status of
"one of the hundred sexiest stars in film history," according to a 1995 poll conducted by Empire
Magazine.[3]
Because of her "striking features" and her beauty, she has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy.
Film historian Ginette Vincendeau has commented that Aimée's films "established her as an
ethereal, sensitive and fragile beauty with a tendency to tragic destinies or restrained suffering."[3]
Her abilities as an actress and the photogenic qualities of her face, its "fine lines, expression of
elation and a suggestive gaze," helped her achieve success in her early films. Émile Savitry made an
early portrait of her at 15, holding a kitten on the set of Carné's La Fleur de l'âge (1947).[8][9]
Among others of her films of this period were Pot-Bouille (1957), Les Amants de Montparnasse
(Montparnasse 19) (The Lovers of Montparnasse, (1958), and La tête contre les murs (Head
Against the Wall, 1958).[6]
Besides the French cinema, Aimée's career included films made in Spain, Great Britain, Italy, and
Germany. She achieved worldwide attention in Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Lola (1961). She
appeared again in Fellini's 8½, and would remain in Italy during the first half of the 1960s, making
films for a number of Italian directors. Because of her role in La Dolce Vita, biographer Dave
Thompson describes Aimée as a "rising star who exploded" onto the film world. He adds that
singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who in her teens saw the film, began to idolise her, and "dreamed of
being an actress like Aimée."[2][10]
Aimée's greatest success came with the film A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme,
1966) directed by Claude Lelouch. Primarily due to the excellent acting by its stars, Aimée and
Jean-Louis Trintignant and the beautiful musical score, the film became an international success,
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winning both the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1966 and two Oscars including Best
Foreign Language Film. Tabery states that with her "subtle portrayal of the heroine—self-
protective, then succumbing to a new love—Aimée seemed to create a new kind of femme fatale."[6]
Film historian Jurgen Muller adds, "whether one likes the film or not, it's still hard for anyone to
resist the melancholy aura of Anouk Aimée."[11] In many of her subsequent films, she would
continue to play that type of role, "a woman of sensitivity whose emotions are often kept secret."[6]
She starred in the American film production of Justine (1969), costarring Dirk Bogarde and
directed by George Cukor and Joseph Strick. The film contained some nudity, with one writer
observing, "Anouk is always impeccable, oozing the sexy, detached air of the elite . . . when she
drops these trappings, along with her couture clothing, Anouk's naked perfection will annihilate
you."[12] While Aimee garnered some positive reviews, the film itself was a critical and box-office
disaster.
Photojournalist Eve Arnold, assigned to photograph and write a story about Aimée and her role,
spoke to Dirk Bogarde, who had known her since she was fifteen. He said that "She is never so
happy as when she is miserable between love affairs," referencing her recent love affair with Omar
Sharif, her co-star in The Appointment (1969).[5] Arnold photographed Aimée, who talked about
her role as the character Justine. Justine was also Jewish. Arnold recalls one of their talks:
I am still haunted by two things she quoted. They seemed to say more about her than
anything else I experienced with her during the three weeks I knew her on the film:
Quote from Treblinka: 'The Jews are prone to anguish but seldom given to despair.'
And a quote by an anonymous Jewish poet to his wife when the Nazis came to get them:
'Till now we have lived with fear, now we can know hope.'[5]
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In 2002, she received an honorary César Award, France's national film award, and in 2003
received an Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.[15] In the 1960s, Life
magazine called her "the Left Bank's most beautiful resident ... after each picture her enigmatic
beauty lingered" in the memories of her audience.[4]
In late 2013, the Cinemania film festival in Montreal, Canada, paid tribute to Aimée's career.[16]
Aimée reunited with director Claude Lelouch and co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant for a follow-up to
Un homme et une femme and its sequel, A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (Un homme et une
femme, 20 ans deja, 1986) which is her final film.[17] The result, The Best Years of a Life (Les plus
belles années d'une vie, 2019), was shown at Cannes out of competition.[18] [19]
Personal life
Aimée was married and divorced four times: Édouard Zimmermann (1949–1950),[20] director
Nico Papatakis (1951–1954), actor and musical producer Pierre Barouh (1966–1969), and actor
Albert Finney (1970–1978).[21] She had one child, Manuela Papatakis (born 1951), from her second
marriage. She died at her home in Paris on 18 June 2024, at the age of 92.[22]
The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote in an obituary for her that "The enigma, sensuality
and vulnerability of Aimee’s screen persona are all there in essence – and above all the loneliness
that comes with beauty." According to Bradshaw, "She had something of the young Joan Crawford,
or Marlene Dietrich, or her contemporary, the French model and actress Capucine. Aimée radiated
an enigmatic sexual aura flavoured with melancholy, sophistication and worldly reserve" and "had
a unique screen presence that was at once alluring and forbidding"[24] He wrote about her role in
La dolce vita that actress's "natural hauteur made her a natural for the role and, with her airy
detachment and beauty, could be said almost to have invented Italian cinema’s modish ennui
which Michelangelo Antonioni later developed."[24]
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French Culture Minister Rachida Dati tweeted on X: "We bid farewell to a world-famous icon, to a
great actress of French cinema who took on roles for some of the biggest names, such as (Jacques)
Demy, Lelouch and (Federico) Fellini."[25]
Selected filmography
Year Title Role Director Ref
1955
Les Mauvaises rencontres [28]
Catherine Racan Alexandre Astruc
("Bad Liaisons")
Ich suche Dich ("I seek you") Françoise Maurer O.W. Fischer [28]
1956
Nina Nina Iwanowa Rudolf Jugert [30]
1962
Il giorno più corto ("The [32]
cameo appearance Sergio Corbucci
shortest Day")
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La Tragedia di un uomo
1981 ridicolo ("Tragedy of a Barbara Spaggiari Bernardo Bertolucci
Ridiculous Man")
Il generale dell'armata morte
("The General of the Dead Countess Betsy Mirafiore Luciano Tovoli
1983 Army")
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References
1. "Anouk Aimée" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140809210905/http://encinematheque.net/oeil/Y
026/index.asp?page=bio.asp) (in French). L'encinémathèque. Archived from the original (http://
encinematheque.net/oeil/Y026/index.asp?page=bio.asp) on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August
2014.
2. Thompson, Dave. Dancing Barefoot: The Patti Smith Story, Chicago Review Press (2011) p.
17
3. Flitterman-Lewis, Sandy. "Anouk Aimée" (http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/aimee-anouk)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20160823001006/http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/aim
ee-anouk) 23 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Jewish Women: A Comprehensive
Historical Encyclopedia
4. Durham, Michael. "Aimée—It Means 'To Be Loved'", Life Magazine, 19 May 1967 pp. 85–86.
5. Arnold, Eve. Film Journal, Bloomsbury Publishing (2002) pp. 193–94
6. Unterburger, Amy L. (ed.) Actors and Actresses, International Dictionary of Films and
Filmmakers (3rd edition), St James Press (1997), pp. 9–11
7. "Aimee - Name Meaning, What does Aimee mean?" (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meanin
g/0/Aimee). www.thinkbabynames.com. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2022112813174
3/http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Aimee) from the original on 28 November 2022.
Retrieved 25 June 2012.
8. "Port-Musée. La sensibilité de " La Fleur de l'âge " " (https://www.letelegramme.fr/finistere/quim
per/port-musee-la-sensibilite-de-la-fleur-de-l-age-31-07-2014-10280997.php). Le Telegramme
(in French). 31 July 2014. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200607002102/https://www.
letelegramme.fr/finistere/quimper/port-musee-la-sensibilite-de-la-fleur-de-l-age-31-07-2014-102
80997.php) from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
9. " " La Fleur de l'âge " et le secret d'Anouk Aimée" (https://www.nouvelobs.com/documents/2019
1023.OBS20188/la-fleur-de-l-age-et-le-secret-d-anouk-aimee.html). L'Obs (in French). 23
October 2019. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200509105257/https://www.nouvelobs.
com/documents/20191023.OBS20188/la-fleur-de-l-age-et-le-secret-d-anouk-aimee.html) from
the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
10. Bockris, Victor; Bayley, Roberta. Patti Smith: An Unauthorized Biography, Simon and Schuster
(1999) p. 33
11. Müller, Jürgen. Movies of the 60s, Taschen (2004) cover
12. Mr. Skin's Encyclopedia: A to Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked, SK
INtertainment (2005) p. 5
13. Grobel, Lawrence. Endangered Species: Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their
Lives, Da Capo Press (2001) pp. 267–268
14. Zuckoff, Mitchell. Robert Altman: An Oral Biography, Random House (2009) pp. 138–39
15. Oscherwitz, Dayna. The A to Z of French Cinema, Scarecrow Press (2007), pg. 18
16. "Anouk Aimée: A charmed cinematic life" (https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-gui
de/charmed+cinematic+life/9139424/story.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2013110
9022344/http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/charmed+cinematic+life/
9139424/story.html) 9 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, The Gazette (Montreal), 8
November 2013.
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17. "VIDEO. Claude Lelouch retrouve Anouk Aimée et Jean-Louis Trintignant pour l'épilogue d'"Un
homme et une femme" " (https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/people/video-claude-lelouch-retrou
ve-anouk-aimee-et-jean-louis-trintignant-pour-l-epilogue-d-un-homme-et-une-femme_3231329.
html). Franceinfo. 15 March 2019. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20190317130924/http
s://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/people/video-claude-lelouch-retrouve-anouk-aimee-et-jean-louis-
trintignant-pour-l-epilogue-d-un-homme-et-une-femme_3231329.html) from the original on 17
March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
18. Lodge, Guy (31 May 2019). "Cannes Film Review: The Best Years of a Life" (https://variety.co
m/2019/film/reviews/the-best-years-of-a-life-review-1203222092/). Variety. Archived (https://arc
hive.today/20230402153504/https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-best-years-of-a-life-revie
w-1203222092/) from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
19. Pulver, Andrew. "Anouk Aimée, star of La Dolce Vita and A Man and a Woman, dies aged 92"
(https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jun/18/anouk-aimee-star-of-la-dolce-vita-and-a-
man-and-a-woman-dies-aged-92). The Guardian. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240
618190200/https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jun/18/anouk-aimee-star-of-la-dolce-
vita-and-a-man-and-a-woman-dies-aged-92) from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved
18 June 2024.
20. "Anouk Aimee and Edouard Zimmermann" (https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/anouk-aim
ee-and-edouard-zimmermann#google_vignette). whos dated who. Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20240514094616/https://www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/anouk-aimee-and-edouard
-zimmermann#google_vignette) from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
21. "Anouk Aimée a 92 ans : Origines, vrai nom, films cultes, amants célèbres... tout ce qu'il faut
savoir" (https://www.journaldesfemmes.fr/people/personnalites/3175080-anouk-aimee-age-vie-
privee-carriere-infos/). Journal des femmes. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2024051409
4606/https://www.journaldesfemmes.fr/people/personnalites/3175080-anouk-aimee-age-vie-pri
vee-carriere-infos/) from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
22. Gates, Anita (18 June 2024). "Anouk Aimée, Enigmatic Star of 'A Man and a Woman,' Dies at
92" (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/obituaries/anouk-aimee-dead.html). The New York
Times. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240618190102/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/
06/18/obituaries/anouk-aimee-dead.html) from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June
2024.
23. "Anouk Aimée, Oscar-Nominated French Star of 'A Man and a Woman,' Dies at 92" (https://vari
ety.com/2024/film/news/anouk-aimee-dead-french-star-a-man-and-a-woman-1236040890/).
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240618183715/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/ano
uk-aimee-dead-french-star-a-man-and-a-woman-1236040890/) from the original on 18 June
2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
24. Bradshaw, Peter. "Anouk Aimée was an entrancing 60s movie icon with an air of glamorous
unknowability" (https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jun/18/anouk-aimee-the-60s-mov
ie-icon-with-an-air-of-untouchability-la-dolce-vita-a-man-and-a-woman). The Guardian.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240619125812/https://www.theguardian.com/film/articl
e/2024/jun/18/anouk-aimee-the-60s-movie-icon-with-an-air-of-untouchability-la-dolce-vita-a-ma
n-and-a-woman) from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
25. "French film star Anouk Aimée dies aged 92" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clllev363y3o).
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240619013958/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clll
ev363y3o) from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
26. Tout le casting du film La Maison sous la mer (https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-32162/castin
g/) (in French). Retrieved 20 June 2024 – via AlloCine.
27. "La Maison sous la mer - Fiche Film" (http://cinema.encyclopedie.films.bifi.fr/index.php?pk=471
91). La Cinémathèque française. Générique artistique. Retrieved 20 June 2024. {{cite
web}}: no-break space character in |at= at position 10 (help)
28. "Anouk Aimée" (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/anouk). Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved
19 June 2024.
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External links
Anouk Aimée (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000733/) at IMDb
Anouk Aimée (https://www.allmovie.com/artist/p534) at AllMovie
Anouk Aimée (https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne_gen_cpersonne=1159.html?nop
ub=1) at AlloCiné (in French)
Anouk Aimée (https://www.discogs.com/artist/Anouk+Aim%C3%A9e) discography at Discogs
AIMÉE Anouk (http://www.worldwhoswho.com/views/entry.html?id=sl445487) Archived (https://
web.archive.org/web/20191016100939/http://www.worldwhoswho.com/LOGIN?sessionid=8451
6fc76f0b8722244598042a8c237d&authstatuscode=400) 16 October 2019 at the Wayback
Machine International Who's Who. Retrieved 1 September 2006.
Sandy Flitterman-Lewis, Anouk Aimée (http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/aimee-anouk),
Jewish Women Encyclopedia
Photographs and literature (http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=2317)
video Interview at Cannes, 1966 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd0b8kSZPFs) on
YouTube
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