The Café-Théâtre Generation

The 1970s saw the emergence of a new generation of actors from the café-théâtre movement, small theatrical venues that fostered experimental performance:

Gérard Depardieu exploded onto the scene in the early 1970s. Born in 1948 to a working-class family, Depardieu brought to his roles a raw physicality and emotional intensity that made him impossible to ignore. His breakthrough in Bertrand Blier's "Going Places" (1974) shocked audiences with its crude energy, but also revealed an actor of extraordinary range.

Patrick Dewaere, Depardieu's co-star in "Going Places," represented a different energy—neurotic, intellectual, intense. His performances in films like "Série noire" (1979) showed an actor willing to explore the darkest corners of human psychology.

Miou-Miou (Sylvette Herry) emerged from the same café-théâtre scene to become one of the defining actresses of 1970s French cinema. Her natural style and refusal to conform to conventional beauty standards made her perfect for the more realistic cinema that emerged in the decade.