— Ch. 1 · The Name From The War —
Jean-Pierre Melville.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
Jean-Pierre Grumbach was born on the 20th of October 1917 in Paris. His parents were Alsatian Jewish immigrants named Berthe and Jules Grumbach. He lived in the ninth arrondissement while his father worked as a rag merchant. Jean-Pierre left school at age 17 to work as a courier and later a wedding photographer. In 1937 he joined the Communist Party but departed two years later over political disagreements regarding the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. When France fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he evacuated from Dunkirk as a soldier in the French Army. He then entered the Resistance to oppose the German occupation forces. He adopted the pseudonym Melville as a tribute to Herman Melville, an American author he admired deeply. Both his brother Jacques and sister Janine also joined the resistance movement. In 1942 they crossed the Pyrenees mountains toward neutral Spain. They traveled separately several weeks apart with plans to reach Britain and the Free French Army. Jacques carried money intended for Charles de Gaulle before being shot dead by his guide. Jean-Pierre did not learn of his brother's death until after the war ended. He served in the artillery for two years and fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.
The Independent Studio
After returning from World War II, Jean-Pierre Grumbach applied for a license to become an assistant director. The authorities refused his application without exception. Without industry support he decided to direct films by his own means instead. He continued using Melville as his stage name throughout this new chapter. He established an independent production studio on rue Jenner in Paris 13ème. This facility allowed him complete control over his creative process. On the 29th of June 1967 fire consumed both the studio and his apartment. His personal archive of photographs and scripts burned completely during the blaze. He became known for minimalist film noir productions like Le Doulos released in 1962. Le Samouraï followed in 1967 while Le Cercle rouge arrived in 1970. Major actors such as Alain Delon starred in these projects. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Lino Ventura also appeared frequently in his work. American cinema influenced his approach especially gangster films from the 1930s and 1940s. He used accessories like weapons trench coats and fedora hats to shape a characteristic look. Eastern philosophies and martial traditions interested him deeply as seen in later films.