Michel Ciment, the French film critic, passed away on November 13th at the age of 85 in Paris. Renowned for his passionate love of cinema, he played a significant role in defining the art as serious in the film industry. The festival confirmed his death, describing him as “a free spirit with an insatiable curiosity” and the embodiment of cinephilia.
Ciment’s deep knowledge of film developed from his early love of American movies, particularly Westerns and gangster films. Impassioned with film, he communicated his love through his work in books, reviews, interviews, and radio broadcasts.
However, due to his admiration for American cinema, Ciment was sometimes met with reproach in France. He even became a senior lecturer in American civilization at the University of Paris in later years.
Ciment was renowned for his interviews and books on directors like Joseph Losey, Stanley Kubrick, and Elia Kazan. His method involved questions about philosophy, history, and politics, earning him the respect of many of his subjects.
In his later years, he taught American civilization at the University of Paris and published a stream of books on American cinema, as well as conducted interviews with various directors.
Originally born Michel Jean Ciment in Paris on May 26, 1938, to Alexander and Helene Cziment, Ciment’s family was of Jewish origins. His father, Alexander, managed to escape being rounded up with other Jews in Paris during World War II. This experience shaped Ciment’s pro-American views, as he credited the liberation of France to the Americans. Although his father managed to escape, many Jews were subsequently sent to Auschwitz.
Michel Ciment went on to pursue further studies at the Sorbonne and later received a Fulbright Scholarship, allowing him to study at Amherst College in Massachusetts. It was during this time that he established his passion for American cinema. Ciment published a stream of books from the 1970s, covering a wide range of topics including his work, further solidifying his influence in the study of cinema.