Jean-Pierre Melville

Biography

Jean-Pierre Melville was a French filmmaker and spiritual father of the French New Wave, known for his sparse, existentialist approach to film noir and crime dramas that influenced future generations of filmmakers. His service in the French Resistance during World War II inspired his adoption of the pseudonym "Melville," which he kept as his stage name. Melville's critically acclaimed films include Bob le flambeur, Le Samouraï, and Army of Shadows. He was praised by Roger Ebert as "one of the greatest directors."