1962–1967: Editor of Cahiers du cinéma and The Nun controversy Jacques Rivette

rivette cast jean-luc godard s wife, anna karina, in nun , directed theatrical version karina.

after financial failure of paris belongs us, rivette unsuccessfully pitched film adaptation of denis diderot s novel la religieuse producer georges de beauregard. undaunted, rivette , co-writer gruault began writing script; in 1962, rivette suggested godard s wife, anna karina, perfect in lead role. godard agreed, de beauregard , producer eric schulmberger rejected idea after commission de controle (the french censorship board) review said banned.

godard , karina received funding theatrical producer antoine bourseiller produce stage version of la religieuse. rivette directed , godard produced three-hour play, opened @ studio des champs-Élysées on 6 february 1963 , closed on 5 march. although production financial failure, received reviews , karina won several awards performance; lotte eisner called beautiful theatre have seen since bertolt brecht . rivette s staging, in classical style of marivaux, intentionally simple. , gruault continued reworking film script (which passed censorship board), bourseiller not afford produce film version, project shelved.

after andré bazin s death in 1958, rohmer became editor-in-chief of cahiers du cinéma. 1962, rohmer (known more conservative many of fellow contributors) @ odds staff not promoting new wave filmmakers. after several financial failures, directors wanted better publicity, cahiers instrument of combat of new wave. rohmer profiled new wave filmmakers in december 1962 issue before june 1963 resignation, when rivette became successor. rohmer later said pressure leave cahiers best thing ever happened him film director.

under rivette s leadership, cahiers changed nonpolitical film magazine marxist journal examining relationship between politics , modern culture. unlike rohmer, rivette allowed writers such michel delahaye , jean-louis comolli publish articles gravitating towards politics , philosophy , not related film. wrote pieces on martin heidegger , louis althusser , interviewed non-filmmakers such roland barthes , composer pierre boulez. rivette , delahaye s 1963 interview barthes considered turning point cahiers magazine analyzing film semiotic perspective. rivette ambitious, financially irresponsible editor; shortly after expensive, 250-page double issue on american films, cahiers needed financial help. bought teen-magazine owner daniel filipacchi, , style became splashier , more youth-oriented. rivette remained editor until april 1965, , replaced jean-louis comolli , jean narboni. contributed articles magazine until 1969.

immediately after rivette left cahiers, beauregard ready make nun (la religieuse) , rivette , gruault again revised script. rivette called script record of stage play, highly written texture . on 31 august 1965, censors told beauregard film run[s] risk of being totally or partially cut . beauregard ignored warning, , rivette began shooting in october. film controversial before completion; members of french catholic church began letter-writing campaign in opposition, , pressured paris police commissioner maurice papon , minister of information alain peyrefitte take action. both said ban it.

rivette finished nun in 1966. although approved twice censorship board in march, new minister of information yvon bourges overrode approvals in april , banned film. in response, beauregard began public campaign in defense; many journalists, including godard , chabrol, wrote editorials demanding film s release. manifesto of 1,789 in support signed jacques prévert, raymond queneau, marguerite duras , several major french book publishers, , many catholic priests , nuns denounced ban s effect on freedom of speech. rivette told le figaro litteraire, though had guillotined , , in rouen father andré vehemently defended film against city s efforts ban it.

godard wrote lengthy editorial criticizing minister of culture andré malraux. shortly afterwards, malraux publicly defended nun, allowing premiere @ 1966 cannes film festival (where not subject censorship). @ cannes film critically praised, , beauregard later sued censorship board. french president charles de gaulle called controversy silly , , ordered newly appointed minister of information georges gorce lift ban. nun released on 26 july 1967, publicity helping make rivette s hit film. although received many reviews, guy daussois of le populaire said marked schematization , oversimplicity encountered, absolutely no human depth .

the nun stars karina suzanne simonin, young woman forced convent family, s physically , psychologically tortured. attempts escape while dealing hateful mother, empathetic mother superior, indifferent attorney, lesbian nun , sympathetic-but-lustful monk. according rivette, shooting of la religieuse difficult ... troubled because had done piece before play sentiments, rehearsals, etc, , realized when shot film since people doing same text, same words, mind wandering , no longer listening words . karina described rivette s direction hyperactive; darting in , out of corners ... looking @ or detail.

after controversy surrounding nun, rivette made series of documentaries on director jean renoir french television series cinéastes de notre temps aired in 1966 jean renoir, le patron. around time, rivette , gruault worked on script taking of power louis xiv; rivette decided did not want direct costume drama, , rossellini directed film in 1966.