Binoche, Juliette

▪ 1998

      The French actress Juliette Binoche had a face that was mesmerizing, not only because of its obvious beauty—dark hair and eyes, pale complexion, and pink cheeks—but also because of a countenance that conveyed an innocence and mystery reminiscent of the heroines of Edgar Allan Poe's poetry. Without speaking, Binoche could relate a range of emotions—despair, surprise, loneliness, contentment, in a direct way, without falling into cliché. Her performances in The English Patient (1996), Trois couleurs: Bleu (1993; Blue), and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) were notable for their complex characterizations that were both illuminating and shaded. She was able to hold the attention of audiences by revealing her characters while being careful not to reveal too much. In 1997 Binoche's hold on audiences won her the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in The English Patient and a place in the first rank of international cinema stars.

      In The English Patient Binoche played Hana, a French-Canadian nurse stationed in Italy during World War II. To prepare for the role, she talked with a number of nurses who had served during the war. Inspired by the experiences of those women, Binoche was able to present Hana as a strong, caring woman emotionally devastated by the loss and suffering around her. Through the course of the film, she revealed Hana's resiliency and her struggle to regain her faith in life and love. In addition to her Oscar, Binoche received the Silver Berlin Bear for best actress at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival for her memorable portrayal of Hana.

      Binoche was born on March 9, 1964, in Paris. Her father was a sculptor and a theatre director; her mother was a teacher and actress. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she remained in the custody of her mother, who encouraged her to try acting. After she completed her general education, Binoche studied acting at the Paris Conservatoire and received private instruction from Vera Gregh, a renowned teacher of film acting. She appeared on the stages of Paris in the late 1970s, performing in works by Molière, Eugène Ionesco, and Luigi Pirandello among others. In the first half of the 1980s, she appeared in small film roles and on French television. Her first important break came in 1984 when she auditioned for a role in Jean-Luc Godard's Je vous salue, Marie (1985; Hail Mary). Though she was initially rejected, she left such an impression on Godard that he wrote a new part into the screenplay expressly for her.

      The same year Binoche landed one of the lead roles in André Téchiné's Rendez-vous (1985), which won broad acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival. Her portrayal of Nina, a provincial woman aspiring to be an actress in Paris, garnered much attention from critics and earned her the 1986 Romy-Schneider Prize, awarded by French journalists to the outstanding actress of the year. The next year she became romantically involved with the French director Léos Carax, with whom she made two films—Mauvais sang (1986; Bad Blood) and Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (1991; Lovers on the Pont-Neuf). The Unbearable Lightness of Being was her first English-language film and the first film to bring her talents effectively to the attention of the international public.

JAMES HENNELLY

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▪ French actress

born March 9, 1964, Paris, France

 

 French actress, who was widely regarded as one of film's most respected actresses for the intelligence she brought to her complex and varied roles.

      Binoche's father was a sculptor and a theatre director, and her mother was a teacher and an actress. After completing her general education, she studied acting at the Paris Conservatoire and received private instruction from Vera Gregh, a renowned teacher of film acting. During the late 1970s Binoche appeared onstage in Paris, and in the first half of the 1980s she acted in small film roles and on French television. Her first breakthrough came through renowned director Jean-Luc Godard (Godard, Jean-Luc), who wrote into the screenplay of his Je vous salue, Marie (1985; Hail Mary) a part expressly for her.

      In 1986 Binoche won the Romy-Schneider Prize, awarded by French journalists to the outstanding actress of the year, for her portrayal of Nina, a provincial woman aspiring to be an actress in Paris, in André Téchiné's Rendez-vous (1985). She made two films with the French director Léos Carax, Mauvais sang (1986; Bad Blood) and Les Amants du Pont-Neuf (1991; Lovers on the Pont-Neuf), over the next few years. In 1988 she earned international acclaim as a woman married to a philanderer in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, her first English-language film. Binoche's performance was highlighted by her ability to relate a range of emotions without speaking or falling into cliché.

      Binoche experienced a great deal of success in the United States throughout the 1990s and 2000s. She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Hana, a French Canadian nurse stationed in Italy during World War II, in The English Patient (1996). She starred in the successful romantic comedy Chocolat (2000), playing opposite Johnny Depp (Depp, Johnny), and later appeared in both French- and English-language films, including Caché (2005; Hidden), Bee Season (2005), Breaking and Entering (2006), and Dan in Real Life (2007).

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