Questions about Robert Bresson

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When and where was Robert Bresson born?

Robert Bresson was born on the 25th of September 1901 in Bromont-Lamothe, France. He grew up in a quiet region known as Puy-de-Dôme before moving to Paris for his education at Lycée Lakanal.

What film did Robert Bresson create based on his World War II imprisonment?

A Man Escaped serves as the foundation for what would eventually be called A Man Escaped after Robert Bresson spent more than a year as a prisoner of war. This film later became recognized as one of the greatest movies ever made by critics worldwide.

How did Robert Bresson define his approach to working with actors?

Robert Bresson rejected professional actors entirely because he felt their method felt artificial and false. He preferred to work with non-professional people whom he called models who had to repeat scenes multiple times until all traces of performance disappeared.

Why did Robert Bresson identify himself as a Jansenist rather than a Jesuit?

Robert Bresson stated he would rather be a Jansenist than a Jesuit due to his belief in predestination. He expressed concern about the collapse of Catholic religion in France during 1973 and believed the post-Vatican II Church could not respond effectively to this challenge.

Which international filmmakers have cited Robert Bresson as a major influence?

Robert Bresson has influenced numerous international filmmakers from Andrei Tarkovsky to Martin Scorsese including Ingmar Bergman, Jean Cocteau, and Werner Herzog. Paul Schrader wrote Transcendental Style in Film analyzing Bresson alongside Ozu and Dreyer while Yorgos Lanthimos picked Pickpocket as the most moving film he had ever seen.