Director and screenwriter Jean-Charles Tacchella died Thursday “in his sleep” at his home in Versailles, at the age of 98, AFP learned from his family on Friday. Author of 11 feature films, this former president of the Cinémathèque française had received, for his best-known film, “Cousin, cousine” (1975), an Oscar nomination and the Louis-Delluc prize.
Former president of the Cinémathèque française (2000-2003) and author of numerous screenplays, he wrote the first version of “La Grande Vadrouille” for Gérard Oury. He has also written plays and worked for television, participating in the writing of the series “Vive la vie” and episodes of the series “Chez Maupassant”.
A director “on the fringes”
He considered his work to be “on the fringes of waves and fashions” and to “mix laughter and emotion”: “I cannot conceive that in making a film noir, one day, I cannot put some humor into it.”
Born on September 23, 1925 in Cherbourg (Manche), Jean-Charles Tacchella spent his adolescence in Marseille with his family originally from Genoa, Italy. The war did not prevent him from frequenting movie theaters. After the Liberation, the young man moved to Paris to make movies, his vocation. When L’Écran Français was created, he jumped at the chance and became a critic for this weekly.
He would later be one of the pillars of “Objectif-49”, an avant-garde film club chaired by Jean Cocteau, at the origin of the future New Wave. He would only get to directing late: “I have many more unshot (film scripts) than shot ones, I sometimes film in my dreams, but anyway, it doesn’t go very far” he declared.
Brigitte Fossez and Jean-Pierre Bacri played for him
His career began with a short film, “Les derniers hivers”, which won the Jean-Vigo 71 prize. It was not until 1973, at almost 50 years old, that he completed his first feature film, “Voyage en Grande Tartarie” with Jean-Luc Bideau.
A fan of stories involving a profusion of characters, Tacchella will film endearing characters but capable of ferocity, whose bonds are made and unmade through infidelities and love at first sight.
This is evidenced by his most famous film, “Cousin, Cousin”, a whirlwind of feelings punctuated by birthdays, weddings and funerals. This story of a trouble between a young woman and her cousin that will disrupt the family was nominated for the 1977 Oscars in the categories of best foreign film, screenplay and actress (Marie-Christine Barrault). It would be the subject of a remake (“Cousins”) by Joël Schumacher in 1989.
“Le Pays bleu” (1977, with Brigitte Fossey), “Il y a longtemps que je t’aime” (1979, with Jean Carmet) or “Croque la vie” (1981, with Carole Laure and Bernard Giraudeau) have the same tone, both jovial and ironic. “Escalier C” (1985, with Robin Renucci and Jean-Pierre Bacri) is also one of his most notable films, between popular cinema and auteur cinema. Twice nominated for a César, it tells the story of life in a Parisian building where several stories of love and contempt intertwine.