"Hollywood didn’t click for me"

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

Virgin Media, Universal to offer unlimited music

: as a maid and a temporary wife. Tristana, that is me, disliked both. She had to flee with her lover at the end. For me it was a strong positive character.

Then you acted in Roman Polanski’s Repulsion (1965), which became greatly controversial. Did you like working with Polanski?

Repulsion is a film of a different genre. While working on the film, I found nothing wrong though. Yes, Polanski, the Polish director in exile, did not do films like Luis Bunuel, Truffaut, Andre Techine or Godard. My one film experience was not bad, I must say.

How was your Hollywood experience?

(Laughs). The films I worked with are The April Fools (1969), Hustle (1975) and The Hunger (1983). In terms of reputation and box-office, I lost my ground while in Hollywood. It did not click for me. So I had to get back to the eminent directors of France and other countries. When Truffaut made The Last Metro (1980), I was offered a big opportunity. The film deals with a story of theatre activity during Nazi era. This was a great film for me.

Two of your great roles were in The Convent (1995) and Place Vendome (1998), directed by the veteran Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira. His Talking Picture (2004) also you put you in the race for the Academy Awards. What was your experience?

While working in his films, I felt it was sheer luck that I came into his keen notice. Manoel de Oliveira is as great as Satyajit Ray whose films ‘are always original and yet modern’.

How do look upon cinema now?