French director Claude Chabrol, a pioneer of the French New Wave, died this morning in Paris at age 80. With fellow filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, Chabrol revolutionized French cinema at the end of the late fifties and continued making films for the rest of his life. Among his most famous movies are The Butcher, Hell, and The Cousins. Chabrol left behind three sons and his third wife, Aurore Pajot. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Chabrol “took the finesse of his social depictions from Balzac” and “his humor and vividness from Rabelais.” Sarkozy added: “I’m certain that everyone will miss him.” [NYT]
