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Pierre Petit

Cinematographer · Died September 22, 1997, aged 77 · Rueil-Malmaison, Seine-et-Oise [now Hauts-de-Seine], France

Pierre Camille Petit belongs to that generation of film craftsmen for whom the image was not merely a profession, but a way of inhabiting the world. Born in Seine‑et‑Marne, he entered the film industry just after the war and, from 1947 onward, signed the photography of his first features. It was only the beginning of a dense career: nearly forty years spent shaping light, composing atmospheres, and giving each setting its own breath. He thus traversed an entire chapter of popular French cinema, working with Ralph Habib, Maurice Labro, Christian‑Jaque, and Michel Audiard. His signature can be found in films as varied as Le Masque de fer, Le Repas des fauves, Fifi la plume, Le Cri du cormoran, or Une veuve en or. His abundant filmography reveals a remarkable ability to adapt: comedies, dramas, adventure films, international co‑productions — he illuminated them all with the same rigor. On television, he also accompanied the rise of French serials, from Sylvie des trois ormes to Schulmeister, l’espion de l’empereur, where his sense of framing and light helped give these popular stories a strong visual identity. His final contribution, in 1985, was a documentary devoted to Marcel Carné — a kind of nod to the history of cinema he had served all his life. Pierre Petit died in 1997, leaving behind a discreet but essential body of work: that of a man who, film after film, shaped the visual memory of an era.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 3, 1920
Died
September 22, 1997 (aged 77)
From
Rueil-Malmaison, Seine-et-Oise [now Hauts-de-Seine], France
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 53 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 22% in 30 days

What are Pierre Petit's films like?

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

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
30%
Power
28%
Morality
17%
Self
15%
Survival
6%
Society
4%
Greed3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 3 · Wry 2 · Earnest 7

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 2 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 1

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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 2 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
7
Thrilling
5
Absurd
4
Tense
3
Warm
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

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 Pierre Petit's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Pierre Petit'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

53 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • Mammifères marins, les maîtres des abysses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Camera Operator

  • 2017, The Disaster Diaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • Angkor redécouvert(2013)

    Aerial Camera

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ce diable d'homme (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Weekends of a Perverted Couple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • Beyond Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Cinematographer

  • Molière pour rire et pour pleurer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 6 episodes · Camera Operator

  • La Brigade en folie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Elle cause plus... Elle flingue(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Schulmeister, l'espion de l'Empereur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 13 episodes · Camera Supervisor

  • Le Cri du cormoran, le soir au-dessus des jonques (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Cinematographer

  • A Golden Widow(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Making of a Lady(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Birds of Prey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • Sylvie des trois ormes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 26 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Dead Run(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Saint Lies in Wait(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Other Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Cinematographer

  • Mission to Caracas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • The Secret Agents(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Circus Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • Le gentleman de Cocody(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Champagne for Savages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Camera Operator

  • Coplan, Agent 005 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Cinematographer

  • Death, Where Is Your Victory? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Cinematographer

  • Les femmes d'abord(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Iron Mask(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Assassin in the Phonebook (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • The Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • The Crumblers Are Doing Well (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • Tout l'or du monde(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Marie of the Isles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • Tonight We Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • The Night of the Hunted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • It Only Happens to the Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • The Tiger Attacks(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Clara and the Villains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Le triporteur(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Wheel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Escapade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Until the Last One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • The Aristocrats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Les Hommes en blanc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Le Fil à la patte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Camera Department Manager

  • The Contessa's Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Rasputin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • The Pirates of the Bois du Bologne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Koenigsmark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • The Forest of Farewell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Le Crime du Bouif (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Green is the Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Kids Are Leading the Investigation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 51 titles from 1947 to 2018.

Biggest box office

The Iron Mask (1962)

$799K worldwide

Highest rated

The Iron Mask (1962)

Midcredits 39th

Most popular right now

The Tiger Attacks (1959)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography45 of 51: 45 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score23rdOther crew6 of 51: 6 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s1 · crew1950s19 · crew1960s21 · crew1970s7 · crew2010s3 · 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 Pierre Petit's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 22nd percentile, the median of all 14; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 25th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

25thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

20thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 14 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · cinematographer

Dead Run (1967)

56th percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Tiger Attacks (1959)

Midcredits 65th · 58% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 67/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 55. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 Pierre Petit work with?

People who share at least 2 of Pierre Petit's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Christian-Jaque shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers