Labour of Love

A thought occurred to me as I was writing up my latest post. The most memorable female roles that I have seen committed to film, the best work and performances by actresses, have all been directed by their lovers. I am aware that this is a sweeping generalisation but does anyone remember any of the films Anna Karina starred in which weren't directed by her husband, Jean Luc Godard?

Liv Ullmann

Ingmar Bergman

This thought stood out to me so clearly because great female characters are so rare to find in film. The roles which are complex and intriguing have been written by directors deliberately to challenge and showcase the talents of their chosen muses. Who can forget how vivacious and compelling Jeanne Moreau was in 'Jules et Jim?' The exhilaration on her face as she races the boys across the bridge, or when the camera freeze frames as she mockingly moves from melancholy to happiness.

Anna Karina

Jean Luc Godard

Often the male director had a svengali persona but also a patience to nuture their lover and the actress would in turn submit to their direction because of an implicit trust between the two of them. This unique balance allows the actress to be pushed to her limit to create outstanding performances.She is able to be vulnerable and bare her emotions more freely if it is done with someone they are intimate with in their personal life. The work that these actresess made with their lovers are often their most critically acclaimed from their career.

Gena Rowlands

John Cassavetes

There is also the superficial benefits of being filmed more kindly than by other directors. He is able to disguise the bad and highlight the good, studiously framing the face and letting the camera linger longer than expected for the audience to stare in awe at the visual beauty on display.

The directors were also able to turn their actressess into icons. Godard was well adept at this skill. Karina's characters had various looks which have managed to infiltrate popular culture. For instance, playing Natacha Von Braun in Alphaville, Karina has a sharp black bob, heavily kohl rimmed eyes and wears a black velvet coat (the hem rimmed with white fur). It is a striking look that works well on black and white film. It is a striking look that has been replicated from fashion editorials to music videos.

Jeanne Moreau

Francois Truffaut

The four collaborations I believe that support this theory of mine are that of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman ('Scenes from a Marriage'),Anna Karina and Jean Luc Godard ('Une Femme est une Femme'),Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes ('A Woman Under the Influence')and Jeanne Moreau and Francois Truffaut ('Jules et Jim').

I'd be intrigued to find out other's opinions. Do you think my theory has any weight? Can you think of any other partnerships which illustrate a strong female performance from an actress romantically involved with the director? Get to writing and let me know what you think.