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Claude Autant-Lara

Claude Autant-Lara

Director and writer, also actor and producer · Died February 5, 2000, aged 98 · Luzarches, Val-d'Oise, France

Claude Autant-Lara (August 5, 1901–February 5, 2000) was a French film director and later Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Born at Luzarches in Val-d'Oise, Autant-Lara was educated in France and at London's Mill Hill School during his mother's exile as a pacifist. Early in his career, he worked as an art director and costume designer, his best-known work in this vein was possibly for Nana (1926), a silent film directed by Jean Renoir. Autant-Lara also acted in the film. As a director, he frequently created provocative movies, saying "if a film does not have venom, it is worthless". In the 1960s, he turned his back on the New Wave movement, and from then on he had no popular successes. On 18 June 1989, he came to public notice again, controversially, when he was elected to the European Parliament as a member of the National Front and the oldest member of the assembly. In his maiden speech, in July 1989, he caused a scandal by expressing his "concerns about the American cultural threat", provoking a walkout by the majority of the deputies. In an interview granted to the monthly magazine Globe in September 1989, he accused ex-President of the European Parliament and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil of playing "ethnic politics" to try and "infiltrate and dominate", saying that "If they try to speak to me about genocide, I say they missed mother Veil!" He also described Nazi gas chambers as a "string of lies". The resulting scandal led to his resignation as European deputy. Moreover, the members of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, of which he was a vice-president for life, voted to prohibit him from taking his seat thenceforth. His memoir, The Rage in the Heart, appeared in 1984. He died at Antibes in Alpes-Maritimes in 2000. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 5, 1901
Died
February 5, 2000 (aged 98)
From
Luzarches, Val-d'Oise, France
Works as
Director and writer, also actor and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 54 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 40% in 30 days

What are Claude Autant-Lara's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
Morality
32%
Power
28%
Bonds
23%
Self
9%
Survival
6%
Society
3%
Class6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 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 2 · Serious 3 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 3 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 8 · Intense 4

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

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 8 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 6 · 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 6 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Melancholic
9
Romantic
4
Absurd
3
Bittersweet
4
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

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 Autant-Lara's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on The Criterion Channel (1).

Subscription and free streaming for Claude Autant-Lara'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

54 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Bardot mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Actor

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

    Director · Writer

  • Lucien Leuwen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • Lucien Leuwen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show Creator

  • Potatoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Writer

  • Le franciscain de Bourges(1968)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Oldest Profession(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • A Woman in White Revolts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Producer

  • A Woman in White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Black Humor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Josefa's Loot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • Enough Rope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • The Story of the Count of Monte Cristo(1961)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Thou Shalt Not Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Lovers Woods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Regattas of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Green Mare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • The Gambler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Love Is My Profession(1958)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Crossing of Paris(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Marguerite de la nuit(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Red and the Black(1954)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Game of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Director · Adaptation · Dialogue

  • Good Lord Without Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Seven Deadly Sins(1952)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Red Inn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Keep an Eye on Amelia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • Devil in the Flesh(1947)

    Director · Costume Design · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Sylvia and the Ghost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Director

  • Douce(1943)

    Director · Costume Design

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Love Letters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The Marriage of Chiffon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director · Costume Design

  • The Mysterious Mr. Davis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director · Producer

  • Fric-Frac(1939)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Le ruisseau(1938)

    Director · Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Courier of Lyons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Ciboulette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • Plumber in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • The Incomplete Athlete (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Director

  • Buster se marie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • Boul se met au vert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • Little Devil May Care (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Assistant Director

  • To Build a Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director

  • Backbiters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Actor

  • Nana(1926)

    Production Design · as Fauchery

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Imaginary Voyage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Assistant Director

  • Vittel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director

  • The Crazy Ray (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Assistant Director

  • L'inhumaine(1924)

    Art Direction · Costume Design

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • News Item (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Don Juan et Faust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Art Direction

  • The Man of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Art Direction · Production Design · as Un des copains (uncredited)

  • Le carnaval des vérités(1920)

    Art Direction

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

Career shape

A full career of 54 titles from 1920 to 2012.

Biggest box office

Love Is My Profession (1958)

$49K worldwide

Highest rated

The Crossing of Paris (1956)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Douce (1943)

Film career

  • 1926Screen debut· Nana

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 54: 2 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting43 of 54: 30 only directing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdWriting8 of 54: 0 only writing, 8 with another roleProducing2 of 54: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleEditing1 of 54: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew13 of 54: 7 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

54 titles, 15 with more than one role — directing and other crew overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1920s13 · 3 acting · 12 crew1930s8 · crew1940s6 · crew1950s10 · crew1960s13 · crew1970s3 · crew2010s1 · acting

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 Autant-Lara's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Mixed2

Most loved · director

The Crossing of Paris (1956)

Midcredits 90th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 73/100 and the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 10 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 Autant-Lara work with?

People who share at least 2 of Claude Autant-Lara's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jean Aurenche shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers