Gérard Jugnot. No way ! I'm delighted, obviously, it means that we are still in people's hearts. It's quite a reward. I take it as a Legion of Honor, an honorary Caesar, an honorary Bravo!
How do you analyze it?
We have the advantage of duration! Our films come and go so, inevitably, we remain in the minds of the public. But, ultimately, I realize that it's not just about the box office. It is also the reward for a lot of work which translates into love from the public. Because we have all had successes but also failures, we have made good films and bad ones. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, I've always thought about the audience when making my films or accepting roles.
Fifty years later, the humor of The Splendid has not aged a bit. How do you explain this longevity?
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Our common denominator when we met was a desire for derision and a certain benevolence towards our characters. We laughed at them and not at them. There has never been this desire to scan society with vitriol. We wanted to round out the angles, to give happiness with things that aren't always funny. We were nourished by “Les Branquignols”, by the post-68 era, by “Charlie Hebdo” and by “Hara-Kiri”… When they were released, our films did well without being triumphs. It is over time, rebroadcasts on TV and video releases that they have become cult. Reread the reviews when “Bronzés” or “Santa Claus” came out and you will see that it was not the unanimity that we know now. And those who were praised at the time have sometimes fallen into obscurity. Like what…
You also have the particularity of having succeeded in reconciling humor and emotion by evolving from Splendid to directing or towards more tender roles like in “Les choristes” or “Tandem”.
I always thought that laughter was there to lighten the drama. A gag for the sake of a gag never works, people need to identify. This is what happened with “Les choristes”, even though it was Christophe Barratier’s first film. We still went from the Massif Central to the Oscars! You must always explore the emotions, the intimate dramas of a character before playing him, before putting pink on black. That's the principle of comedy. Laughter is like windshield wipers, it doesn't stop the rain, but it allows you to move forward. Comedy is useful. It is therapeutic, it helps, it does good. None of us save lives but we brighten them up a little. In the street, people come to thank you. A smile is always better than a kick in the ass! And these returns are all the more gratifying since we comics don't really know the honors.
You have only received one César, the one awarded to the entire Splendid in 2021. What does that say in your opinion?
Maybe I've been waiting for it for a while. But with age helping, we don't care. The real Caesar is the people in the street, it's being able to continue to have projects. When you start, you have to “take your place in traffic”, as Cabrel said. Then, once you are established, you have to try to last. And when you've achieved it, continue to have fun. I'm in this period that I really enjoy every moment. I had moments of doubt but no regrets. When I rewatch “Les bronzés 3”, which was a hit but which was very vilified, I realize that they manage to live on in time. Conversely, a film that doesn't work is like heartbreak.
What explains your desire to move into directing with “Pinot simple flic” or “A wonderful era…”, two big successes at the cinema?
As a teenager, I made small films in super-8. It was only with the Splendid band that I discovered the pleasure of playing. At that time, we all made appearances, often as food, in films by Bertrand Tavernier, Roman Polanski or Joseph Losey. I toured with Delon, with Noiret and Marielle, with lots of people who screwed up. But who also had stage fright, who sometimes messed up. I took the opportunity to watch them work and learn. Directing was a way for me to explore the characters I had in mind. Many comedians have done it, whether Pierre Richard, Pierre Étaix, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin… All my films started from questions: what would I have done if I had been a hostage in a vacation club in “Casque bleu” or if I had become homeless in “A wonderful time”.
You also quickly collaborated with younger generations of comedians, like the Bande à Fifi in “Babysitting”.
It's important to have fun with everyone. Especially with Philippe Lacheau and his gang on “Babysitting” and “Alibi.com” which I consider to be one of the best comedies of recent years. But also Artus, with whom I made “Pourris gâtés” which is currently a hit on Netflix, or with Maxime Gasteuil in “'a pas de network”, by Édouard Pluvieux, which we will present in a few days at the International Festival of comedy film from Alpe-d'Huez. When I observe them, I project a little of what we experienced with the Splendid. What we also say in Jean-Pierre Lavoignat's book “Le Splendid par le Splendid”, which is a hit at the moment. It was our last collaboration with Michel.
Michel Blanc who comes in fourth position in our survey among missing actors.
He would surely have been even higher if he had been there…
You met again in April for the special 75th anniversary issue of Match. And, as always, the gang spirit returned.
It is a bond strong enough to have lasted over time. We don't see each other often, everyone has their own life, their own projects, and our paths have logically diverged. But, when we meet again, we pick up the friendship where we left it. Getting together for your journal was extremely joyful, a wonderful memory. Then Michel disappeared. There is a big gap, because there was absolute collusion between us in the valve. We laughed less when we all met at the church for his funeral. Even if we tried to laugh about it a little. But what surprised me was, once again, the reaction of the public: we felt an immeasurable pain in France. How many times in the street people have offered me their condolences…
His disappearance occurred in a completely absurd way…
A scary allergy to an antibiotic happens once in a million. And it fell on him. It's like Coluche when he left. Why this truck? Why didn't he wear a helmet to drive his motorcycle? Why did Michel take this medication? We don't know. Life is wonderful, very strange and terrible at the same time. In fact, I think we shouldn't die.
If you had to answer this survey, who would be your favorite comedy and actors?
First of all, I take my hat off to everyone who does comedy in this really unfunny world these days. Transforming horror into a kind of furtive happiness, this alchemist side of misfortune always fascinates me. So, it would be Michel Serrault, Louis de Funès, Francis Blanche or Robert Lamoureux. Even Buster Keaton or Chaplin. And I find plenty of talent among young people, from Gad Elmaleh to Philippe Lacheau, including Artus and Franck Gastambide. There are many who could be a close second. Because we agree, it's me first! [Il rit.]
