Jean Vigo (April 26, 1905 - October 5, 1934) was a French film director who exemplified Short-Lived, Big Impact.
Vigo was the child of a prominent anarchist, and thus spent much of his childhood on the run with his parents. Vigo's father died in prison under mysterious circumstances, possibly being assassinated.
Vigo eventually went into film-making first with a short, À propos de Nice, which contrasted the lifestyles of the rich and poor in the city of Nice. His next short was about the swimming champion, Jean Taris.
His third, final, and most famous short was Zero for Conduct, a surreal story about a boarding school and the rebellion carried out by the students. The short strongly divided audiences, eventually leading to it being banned.
After this, Vigo's producers assigned him a love story set on a barge. Although Vigo didn't care much for the story, he decided to do it for the money. The end product, L'Atalante, was once again highly divisive and was edited by the studio in an attempt to make it more popular. Shortly after, Vigo died from tuberculosis at the age of 29.
Years laters, Vigo's was re-released and Vindicated by History. He is seen as one of the defining filmmakers of the poetic realism movement, and a significant influence on future generations of filmmakers, especially the French New Wave.
Filmography
- À propos de Nice
- La Natation par Jean Taris
- Zero for Conduct
- L'Atalante
