Summary
The Man from Rio ” on Arte screens with stars in their eyes. This is a film that makes you want to see life in azure blue ! And that's the first thing I think of at this moment.Then come with a little more perspective his films with Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut or Jean-Pierre Melville and soon a host of clothes worn on the big screen . Obviously, Jean-Paul Belmondo wasn't just about cinema.
But there is already so much to watch in this area that we have enough to make it a little special.
We can find at least one point in common with A MONKEY IN WINTER ” (HENRI VERNEUIL, 1962)
© COLLECTION CHRISTOPHEL/IMAGO /Prod.DB
Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo in “A Monkey in Winter” by Henri Verneuil, 1962.
Jean-Paul Belmondo has nearly 80 films and a cinema career that began at the end of the 1950s. If you are going to come across many films from the 60s here, it is because this decade was incredibly productive for him . He then toured a lot, making several films per year. And most of his major roles are to be found in this period.
You know it: the turtleneck sweater is a great fall/winter classic. We also stopped at Une Femme est Une Femme ” by Jean-Luc Godard in 1961 or “ La Sirène du Mississippi ” by François Truffaut in 1969. Incidentally, there are also beautiful coats in the latter, like this one for example:
But back to our winning combo: Belmondo wears the turtleneck with a blazer in each of these stories. It’s a classic but still elegant combination. Both of these films are highly recommendable if you are interested in both cinema and clothing.
But for fun, we can add a third with an identical combination: “A Monkey in Winter” by Henri Verneuil.
Those who live near the Normandy coast probably already know that the film was partly shot in Villerville - pretty beaches and village,
In the casting of this cult work with dialogue by Michel Audiard, two greats of French cinema:
Starting with clothes. Here, you will certainly find Jean-Paul Belmondo with a thick jacket THE MAN FROM RIO ” (PHILIPPE DE BROCA, 1964)
© Christophel Collection/ IMAGO / Prod.DB
Francoise Dorlac and Jean-Paul Belmondo in “The Man from Rio” by Philippe de Broca, 1964.
Among Jean-Paul Belmondo's favorite pieces in the cinema: A Bout de Souffle " in 1960 and which his partner Jean Seberg would not hesitate to try. It is the standard film of the New Wave.
Another alternative? “Le Bout de Souffle ”:
In the photograph above, another example from the film “Charlotte and her Jules” in 1961. White shirt and tie, blazer with character and probably mismatched, light-colored pants . Moccasins to conclude? It seems like.
It's a short film of around ten minutes, with the director's voice as a common thread and Jean-Paul Belmondo who also wears the sailor top. A young woman and her companion, an ice cream, a costume. What else ?
For other costumes, and also great coats, we can take a look at the lesser known “ Classe tous risks ” by Claude Sautet in 1960, with Lino Ventura.
Finally, for lovers of a more advanced sartorial style , you can take a look at the taste for luxury and the good life displayed in three-piece suits by the characters of “ Borsalino ” (Jacques Deray, 1970) :
© IMAGO/Cinema Publishers Collection
Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon in “Borsalino” by Jacques Deray, 1970.
If this style inspired by 1930s gangsters seems a little too strong and stylized to you, let's go back to something simpler, raw and a little wild: the leather jacket.
In a way, we can associate it with one of Jean-Paul Belmondo's particularities in the profession: his pronounced taste for stunts.
7. THE LEATHER JACKET
“ THE BRAIN ” (GÉRARD OURY, 1968)
© Marcel Dole / IMAGO / Photo12
Jean-Paul Belmondo and Bourvil in “Le Cerveau” by Gérard Oury, 1968.
Yes, that’s one of the things to remember about Belmondo’s style in the cinema: the recurrence of the leather jacket . It is mainly found in his most popular films, comedies and action films such as “ Peur sur la ville ” (Henri Verneuil, 1975) or “ ROUTE OF A SPOILED CHILD ” (CLAUDE LELOUCH, 1988)
© CHRISTOPHEL COLLECTION Etienne George / IMAGO / Prod.DB
Jean-Paul Belmondo on the set of “Itinerary of a spoiled child” by Claude Lelouch, 1988.
The newsboy-type cap is inseparable from a number of Belmondo's looks in the cinema. We obviously think of the image of the Parisian titi. Today, we can watch “ A Man Who Pleases Me ” with Annie Girardot.
“Itinerary of a spoiled child” is the story of a life marked by the circus, family, business and the desire to send it all away. The film is dedicated to Jacques Brel.
If it is sometimes a bit convoluted, it also contains very interesting passages. Jean-Paul Belmondo plays a father figure and a funny adventurer, who disappears at sea overnight.
From there a new life begins for him, made up of travel, solitude and eternal flashbacks. We discover Belmondo as an old sea dog on his boat, with wool headgear, chunky knit and white oilskin . On his bedside table, “Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe.
But most often, it's a man who seems to have returned from the style that we come across: a graying beard, sneakers, a faded Levi's 501 , a belt with a wide buckle, a light t-shirt and a brown hat that doesn't would not have denied it is really surprising ?
AND “THE MAGNIFICENT” THEN?
Since the actor's death, the formula and Philippe de Broca's film have been taken up by many as a totem, notably by a large part of the media. However, is this the most beautiful image to keep of Jean-Paul Belmondo?
I'll let you make up your own mind with the trailer above. For my part, I admit: it's a cult film from French cinema from the 70s but I'm not a customer. Since there are several Jean-Paul Belmondos in the cinema, each of us of course has our own preferences and our own little history with the actor.
Mine is ultimately not very focused on his comedies, even though you have already seen Bobine's assumed eclecticism.
It's a very strange shorthand for the character. Because it is neither his best film nor his most impressive acting performance, even less his best dressed character . We can possibly draw the outfit of the writer in front of his typewriter + but for the rest?
It's a schoolboy film, a pastiche of the adventures of James Bond, and it doesn't necessarily age very well. Note also that this is not Belmondo's biggest theatrical success either: its Box office record is held by “Le Cerveau” by Gérard Oury. But Jean-Paul Belmondo is fortunately for clothing and cinema enthusiasts much more than “The Magnificent”.
I therefore recommend all the films presented here with my eyes closed. They all tell something of the history of cinema and we find inspiring stylistic proposals , which echo the daily work of the editorial staff and can be part of contemporary looks .
So of course, if you look closely, “Le Magnifique” is a bit the antithesis of all that : flashy outfits and shiny accessories, everything is most often too much. But this is obviously an assumed bias of the film , which I have voluntarily chosen to set aside to show you, I hope, a little less second degree and more subtlety. For the style and meeting of Broca/Belmondo, go for “The Man from Rio”!
Obviously, the story doesn't end here: there are still many other films and outfits to rediscover at Belmondo. This is where, if you wish, you enter the arena: share with us your story with Bébel and tell us about your favorite outfits from his cinema!
