Philippe Claude Alex de Broca de Ferrussac (15 March 1933 – 26 November 2004) was a French film director. He directed 30 full-length feature films, including the highly successful That Man from Rio (L'Homme de Rio), The Man from Acapulco (Le Magnifique) and On Guard (Le Bossu). His works include historical, romantic epics such as Chouans! and King of Hearts (Le Roi de cœur), as well as comedies with a charismatic, breezy hero ready to embark upon any adventure which comes his way, so long as it means escaping everyday modern life: Practice Makes Perfect (Le Cavaleur), The Devil by the Tail (Le Diable par la queue), The African (L'Africain). He had links with the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, with whom he made six films, as well as with Jean-Pierre Cassel, Philippe Noiret and Jean Rochefort. Philippe de Broca was born on 15 March 1933 in Paris. He was the son of a cinema set designer and the grandson of a well-known painter, Alexis de Broca. He studied at the Paris Photography and Cinematography School (école Vaugirard), graduating in 1953. He carried out his military service with the French Army's service cinématographique des armées (army film service) in Germany and then in Algeria, directing or acting as head cameraman on short films. Greatly affected by the war he witnessed in Algeria, he vowed to show life in its best light in his future films "because laughter is the best defence against upsets in life". After his discharge from the military, he set off on a journey taking in the length of Africa in Berliet trucks before returning to Paris. He began working as an intern with Henri Decoin, before finding assistant positions with Claude Chabrol: Bitter Reunion (Le Beau Serge), The Cousins (Les Cousins), Web of Passion (À Double Tour), François Truffaut: The 400 Blows (Les 400 Coups) and Pierre Schoendoerffer: Ramuntcho. In 1959, Claude Chabrol produced de Broca's first film for him, The Love Game (Les jeux de l'amour) with Jean-Pierre Cassel. De Broca went on to work with Cassel again in The Joker (Le Farceur, 1960), Five Day Lover (L'Amant de cinq jours, 1961), and Male Companion (Un Monsieur de Compagnie, 1964). De Broca's first commercial success came with Swords of Blood (Cartouche), filmed in 1962. This film also saw two more names become associated with de Broca: the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and the producer Alexandre Mnouchkine. International acclaim came with That Man from Rio (L'Homme de Rio) in 1964, Up to His Ears (Les tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine) in 1965, The Man from Acapulco (Le Magnifique) in 1973 and Incorrigible (L'Incorrigible) in 1975. In 1966, he co-wrote, directed and produced King of Hearts (Le Roi de Cœur). This parody of the Great War, which some cinema-lovers consider his masterpiece, was a commercial and personal failure, to de Broca's dismay. Yet it eventually achieved genuine cult-film status during the mid 1970s when it was presented in repertory movie theaters as well as non-theatrical college and university film series across the United States, eventually running for five years at the now defunct film house, the Central Square Cinemas [2] in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... Source: Article "Philippe de Broca" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 15, 1933
- November 26, 2004 (aged 71)
- Paris, France
- Director, writer and actor, also producer
- 24 on Motif · 50 credits in all
What are Philippe de Broca's films like?
Across their 23 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their Motif 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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 17
Light 17 · Serious 5 · Dark 1
Grounded 5 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 5
Gentle 8 · Charged 9 · Intense 6
Steady 7 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 15
Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 3
Casual 12 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 18 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3
Resolved 20 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet7
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous3
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 Philippe de Broca's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 24 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Philippe de Broca's titles on Motif; 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
50 credits, 24 with a Motif page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Belmondo: The Incorrigible (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)
Viper in the Fist (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)
Un amour en kit (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)
Y aura pas école demain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)
Madame Sans-Gêne (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)
Amazon(2000)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
On Guard(1997)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Le Veilleur de nuit (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)
Les hommes et les femmes sont faits pour vivre heureux… mais pas ensemble (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)
Tales from the Zoo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)
Les Clés du Paradis (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)
1001 Nights(1990)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Chouans!(1988)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
La gitane(1986)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Louisiane(1984)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
L'africain(1983)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Psy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Practice Makes Perfect(1979)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Dear Inspector(1977)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Julie pot-de-colle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)
Incorrigible(1975)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Le Magnifique(1973)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Dear Louise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)
Touch and Go(1971)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Le Cinema de Papa (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)
Give Her the Moon(1970)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
The Devil by the Tail(1969)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Don't Play with Martians (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)
The Oldest Profession(1967)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
King of Hearts(1966)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Up to His Ears(1965)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Male Companion (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)
Les Pieds nickelés (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)
The Little Misses (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)
That Man from Rio(1964)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
People in Luck (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1963)
The Girls of La Rochelle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)
Cartouche(1962)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
La Gourmandise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)
The Seven Deadly Sins(1962)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Five Day Lover(1961)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Joker (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)
The Love Game (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)
Breathless(1960)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The 400 Blows(1959)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Le Beau Serge (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)
Three Dates (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1953)
Regarde-moi quand je te quitte (not in the Motif catalog yet)
That Man from Rio (not in the Motif catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 50 titles, 48 of them dated from 1953 to 2022.
Biggest box office
That Man from Rio (1964)
Highest rated
King of Hearts (1966)
Most popular right now
1001 Nights (1990)
Film career
- 1959Screen debut· Le Beau Serge
Billing
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 Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Philippe de Broca's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 50th to 74th7
- 25th to 49th8
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Universally Panned1
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Broadly Agreed7
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif 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 Philippe de Broca work with?
People who share at least 2 of Philippe de Broca's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Georges Delerue shares the most, 12.
Directors
- Jacques DemyShared titles: Louisiane (1984), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962)See all 2 shared titles with Jacques Demy
- Jean-Luc GodardShared titles: The Oldest Profession (1967), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962)See all 2 shared titles with Jean-Luc Godard
Writers
- Daniel BoulangerShared titles: Chouans! (1988), Give Her the Moon (1970), The Devil by the Tail (1969), The Oldest Profession (1967), King of Hearts (1966), Up to His Ears (1965), That Man from Rio (1964), Cartouche (1962), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962), Five Day Lover (1961)See all 10 shared titles with Daniel Boulanger
- Michel AudiardShared titles: On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Practice Makes Perfect (1979), Dear Inspector (1977), Incorrigible (1975)See all 4 shared titles with Michel Audiard
- Jérôme TonnerreShared titles: On Guard (1997), 1001 Nights (1990), Chouans! (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Jérôme Tonnerre
- Claude OlivierShared titles: On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Dear Inspector (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Claude Olivier
Actors
- Jean-Paul BelmondoShared titles: Amazon (2000), Incorrigible (1975), Le Magnifique (1973), Up to His Ears (1965), That Man from Rio (1964), Cartouche (1962)See all 6 shared titles with Jean-Paul Belmondo
- Philippe NoiretShared titles: On Guard (1997), Chouans! (1988), L'africain (1983), On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Dear Inspector (1977), Give Her the Moon (1970)See all 6 shared titles with Philippe Noiret
- Jean RochefortShared titles: Practice Makes Perfect (1979), The Devil by the Tail (1969), Up to His Ears (1965), Cartouche (1962)See all 4 shared titles with Jean Rochefort
- Marc DudicourtShared titles: 1001 Nights (1990), On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Give Her the Moon (1970)See all 3 shared titles with Marc Dudicourt
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Georges DelerueShared titles: Chouans! (1988), L'africain (1983), Practice Makes Perfect (1979), Dear Inspector (1977), Incorrigible (1975), Give Her the Moon (1970), The Devil by the Tail (1969), King of Hearts (1966), Up to His Ears (1965), That Man from Rio (1964), Cartouche (1962), Five Day Lover (1961)See all 12 shared titles with Georges Delerue
- Henri LanoëShared titles: Amazon (2000), On Guard (1997), 1001 Nights (1990), Chouans! (1988), Louisiane (1984), L'africain (1983), On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Practice Makes Perfect (1979), Le Magnifique (1973), Touch and Go (1971), Give Her the Moon (1970)See all 11 shared titles with Henri Lanoë
- Françoise JavetShared titles: La gitane (1986), Dear Inspector (1977), Incorrigible (1975), The Devil by the Tail (1969), King of Hearts (1966), Up to His Ears (1965), That Man from Rio (1964)See all 7 shared titles with Françoise Javet
- Jean PenzerShared titles: L'africain (1983), Incorrigible (1975), Give Her the Moon (1970), The Devil by the Tail (1969), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962), Five Day Lover (1961)See all 6 shared titles with Jean Penzer
Producers
- Alexandre MnouchkineShared titles: On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Practice Makes Perfect (1979), Dear Inspector (1977), Incorrigible (1975), Le Magnifique (1973), Touch and Go (1971), Up to His Ears (1965), That Man from Rio (1964), Cartouche (1962), Five Day Lover (1961)See all 10 shared titles with Alexandre Mnouchkine
- Georges DancigersShared titles: On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Practice Makes Perfect (1979), Dear Inspector (1977), Incorrigible (1975), Le Magnifique (1973), Touch and Go (1971), Up to His Ears (1965), That Man from Rio (1964), Cartouche (1962), Five Day Lover (1961)See all 10 shared titles with Georges Dancigers
- Robert AmonShared titles: On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter (1980), Dear Inspector (1977), Incorrigible (1975), Le Magnifique (1973)See all 4 shared titles with Robert Amon
- Maurice IllouzShared titles: 1001 Nights (1990), Chouans! (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Maurice Illouz