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Claude Lelouch

Claude Lelouch

Director, writer, producer, actor and cinematographer, also editor · Born October 30, 1937 (88) · Paris, France

Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critical acclaim for his 1966 romantic melodrama film A Man and A Woman. At the 39th Academy Awards in 1967, A Man and a Woman won Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film. Lelouch was also nominated for Best Director. While his films have gained him international recognition since the 1960s, Lelouch's methods and style of film are known for attracting criticism. Lelouch was born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris to Charlotte (née Abeilard) and Simon Lelouch. His father was born to an Algerian Jewish family while his mother was a convert to Judaism. Lelouch says that his first contact with cinema was very young: "My mother hid me in movie theaters when I was little. We were wanted by the Gestapo. [...] Cinema, for starters, saved my life." Of his personal faith, he says "Today I believe in God. My faith was sparked when I made a film in Israel. Over there, it is impossible not to believe in God. I loved the places of worship of all the religions. Everything which happens is for the best. I sometimes have the feeling that my inspiration comes from heaven. I think it is wonderful to be Jewish." His father bought him a camera as a fresh start after his failure in the baccalaureat. He started his career with a reportage – one of the first to film daily life in the Soviet Union, with the camera hidden under his coat as he made his personal journey. He also filmed sporting events, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Tour de France. Lelouch served in the French Army working in the film unit where he made over 100 films. He was demobilized in 1960. His first full-length film as director, Le Propre de l'homme, was decried by the critics: "Claude Lelouch, remember this name well, because you will not hear it again" – Cahiers du cinéma said. La femme spectacle (1963), following prostitutes, women shopping, going for nose-jobs, was censored for its misogynist tendency. A Man and a Woman changed his fortunes and was met with favour even by the Cahiers group. The 1981 musical epic Les Uns et les Autres is widely considered as his masterpiece, and his credits now add up to 50 or so films. His 1976 film, C'était un rendez-vous purportedly features a Ferrari 275 GTB being driven at extreme speed through the streets of Paris at dawn. The entire short is shot from the point of view of the car. Legend has it that Lelouch was arrested after it was first shown publicly. In a 2006 interview, Lelouch stated that he drove his own Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 in the film and created a soundtrack of the radically different sounding Italian sports car for effect. He collaborated more than two dozen times with composer Francis Lai. They scored a great hit with the theme song for the film A Man and a Woman sung by Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh, and more than 300 versions of the song exist. In 1993 he was the president of the jury at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival. ... Source: Article "Claude Lelouch" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 30, 1937 (88)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Director, writer, producer, actor and cinematographer, also editor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 85 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

What are Claude Lelouch's films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Self
22%
Ideas
14%
Morality
10%
Survival
9%
Society
9%
Power
3%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory7 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 21 · Serious 6 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 19 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 16 · Charged 13 · Intense 4

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 22 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 16 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
20
Romantic
12
Contemplative
15
Melancholic
11
Joyful
8
Other
20

How their films linger

Hopeful17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Claude Lelouch's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Claude Lelouch's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

85 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 71 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Finalement(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • De la piste aux étoiles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Thanks · as Self - Director

  • Belmondo: The Incorrigible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • Shoot to Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Producer · as Self

  • Charlotte Rampling, le cinéma comme un essentiel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Lui-même

  • Love Is Better Than Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Writer

  • Hossein, Ronet, Trintignant : Confidences de trois acteurs inoubliables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Bernard, Albert et l'Empereur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Claude Lelouch

  • Le Grand Rendez-Vous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director · Writer

  • Dance of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Best Years of a Life(2019)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Everyone's Life(2017)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Un + Une(2015)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Salaud, on t'aime.(2014)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • D'un film à l'autre(2011)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • What War May Bring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • To Each His Own Cinema(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Crossed Tracks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Our Earthmen Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Producer

  • The Courage to Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Le genre humain - 1ère partie: Les Parisiens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • September 11(2002)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • And Now Ladies & Gentlemen(2002)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • One 4 All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Self

  • Chance or Coincidence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Writer

  • Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi(1996)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Lumière and Company(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Les Misérables(1995)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Tout ça... pour ça!(1993)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Beautiful Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Dialogue · Writer

  • Plan-Séquence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • The King of Ads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • There Were Days... and Moons(1990)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Itinerary of a Spoiled Child(1988)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Happy New Year(1987)

    Original Film Writer · as Man on Train

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Bandits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later(1986)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Partir revenir(1985)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Long Live Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Story · Writer · as Claude Lelouch (uncredited)

  • Edith and Marcel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Writer

  • Bolero(1981)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Il a besoin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • Alors... Heureux ? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Producer

  • Us Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Heart to Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Le metteur en scène

  • Molière(1978)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Robert et Robert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Another Man, Another Chance(1977)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Türkiye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Supervising Producer

  • Second Chance(1976)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Good and the Bad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • C'était un rendez-vous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · Writer · as The Driver (uncredited)

  • Cat and Mouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Screenplay

  • And Now My Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Visions of Eight(1973)

    Director · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Far West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Psychiatrist (uncredited)

  • Happy New Year(1973)

    Director · Cinematographer · Original Story · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Money Money Money(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • It Only Happens to Others(1971)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Smic, Smac, Smoc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Writer · as Hooligan

  • The Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Executive Producer

  • Iran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director · Producer

  • The Crook(1970)

    Director · Cinematographer · Dialogue · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Earth Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Producer

  • Une infinie tendresse(1970)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Love Is a Funny Thing(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Les Gauloises bleues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Producer

  • Life Love Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Author

  • Challenge in the Snow(1968)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Far from Vietnam(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Live for Life(1967)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Les grands moments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • A Man and a Woman(1966)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • For a Yellow Jersey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • To Be a Crook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Author · Camera Operator · Editor · Producer

  • In the Affirmative (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Writer

  • Night Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • The Right of Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director · Dialogue · as Claude

  • When the Curtain Rises (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • The War of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director · Writer

  • Le Psychodrame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Camera Operator

  • Il était une fois tout ça (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • L'incroyable fertilité du chaos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • The Seacrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Co-Producer · Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 84 titles, 81 of them dated from 1956 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Un + Une (2015)

$7.7M worldwide

Highest rated

A Man and a Woman (1966)

Midcredits 94th

Film career

  • 1976Screen debut· C'était un rendez-vous
  • 1976First top-billed film· C'était un rendez-vous

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 84: 6 only acting, 7 with another roleDirecting65 of 84: 12 only directing, 53 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thWriting51 of 84: 0 only writing, 51 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdProducing33 of 84: 10 only producing, 23 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndCinematography7 of 84: 0 only cinematography, 7 with another roleEditing4 of 84: 0 only editing, 4 with another roleOther crew4 of 84: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

84 titles, 54 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 50 of them.

By decade

1950s3 · crew1960s13 · 1 acting · 13 crew1970s22 · 5 acting · 20 crew1980s10 · 2 acting · 10 crew1990s10 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s7 · 1 acting · 7 crew2020s9 · 4 acting · 5 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Claude Lelouch's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor, director

Visions of Eight (1973)

83rd percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor

A Man and a Woman (1966)

Midcredits 94th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Claude Lelouch work with?

People who share at least 2 of Claude Lelouch's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Francis Lai shares the most, 21.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles