Camille Claudel (1988)

VHS COVER/SIDE

Length of film:  175 Minutes (U. S. Edit: 158 Minutes)

Rated: PG (United States :R)

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Director: Bruno Nuytten

Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Madeleine Robinson, Laurent Grévill, Philippe Clévenot, Katrine Boorman

IMDB Rank: 7.2/10

Part 1 Time:  94 Minutes (U. S. Edit: 88 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:  81 Minutes (U. S. Edit: 70 Minutes)

Where does the first part end? Camille Claudel (Isabelle Adjani) reshapes and eventually destroys the head molding of her model Giganti.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: No dialogue, Camille has an emotional breakdown crying uncontrollably.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “You move in and go through my things?” Paul Claudel (Laurent Grévill) speaks to Camille, who has just moved in with him.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, working as an associate of sculptor Auguste Rodin (Gérard Depardieu) brought forth opportunities and funding for future sculpture art pieces. With the ending of their relationship will Camille be able to continue to produce groundbreaking sculptors or will the lack of money and past traumas bring her to a breaking point?

Which part is better? Part two is significantly better as Camille works as an independent sculptor. She faces an uphill battle as many sculptors, as well as the public, do not take well to her new style. The downhill spiral of Camille’s career and life is not only disheartening to watch but also a great loss of potential. One wonders what other significant contributions she could have provided to the fine arts community.

Academy Awards: Best Leading Actress (Nominated- Isabelle Adjani), Best Foreign Language Film (Nominated)