Who Is Éric Rohmer? Age, Biography and Wiki
Éric Rohmer, born on March 21, 1920, was a significant French film director known for his influential works in the French New Wave cinema. As of 2025, Rohmer would have celebrated his 105th birthday if he were still alive. He passed away in 2010, leaving behind a rich legacy of films that explore themes of morality, relationships, and the intricacies of everyday life. His works, including "My Night at Maud's" and "The Green Ray," are celebrated for their narrative depth and character development.
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 21, 1920 |
| Age | 89 Years |
| Birth Place | Tulle, France |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | France |
| Date of death | 11 January, 2010 |
| Died Place | Paris, France |
Popularity
Éric Rohmer's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While Éric Rohmer's height and weight are not commonly documented in public records, it is known that he maintained a modest frame throughout his life, reflecting the simplicity and authenticity often found in his films. This understated presence allowed his artistic vision to take precedence over his personal appearance.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Though mainly focused on his craft, Rohmer had a vibrant personal life. He was known to have had relationships, but details about his intimate life and relationships, including any significant other at the time of his death, remain private. He was never married but had profound connections with several women, some of whom were involved in his films. His ability to portray complex relationships on screen suggests a deep understanding of love and companionship, which was likely influenced by his own life experiences.
Rohmer's best-known article was "Le Celluloïd et le marbre" ("Celluloid and Marble", 1955), which examines the relationship between film and other arts.
In the article, Rohmer writes that in an age of cultural self-consciousness, film is "the last refuge of poetry" and the only contemporary art form from which metaphor can still spring naturally and spontaneously.
In 1957, Rohmer and Claude Chabrol wrote Hitchcock (Paris: Éditions Universitaires, 1957), the earliest book-length study of Alfred Hitchcock.
It focuses on Hitchcock's Catholic background and has been called "one of the most influential film books since the Second World War, casting new light on a filmmaker hitherto considered a mere entertainer".
Hitchcock helped establish the auteur theory as a critical method and contributed to the reevaluation of the American cinema that was central to that method. By 1963, Rohmer was becoming more at odds with some of the more radical left-wing critics at Cahiers du Cinéma. He continued to admire U.S.
films while many of the other left-wing critics had rejected them and were championing cinéma vérité and Marxist film criticism. Rohmer resigned that year and was succeeded by Rivette.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing, Éric Rohmer's net worth was estimated to be around $10 million. His films not only garnered critical acclaim but also achieved commercial success, which contributed to his financial stability. Rohmer's earnings came from his extensive filmography, including both feature films and television projects. As of 2025, should his net worth be analyzed in hindsight, it would reflect the impact of his contributions to cinema and the enduring popularity of his works.
The fifth "Comedy and Proverb" was The Green Ray in 1986. Rohmer explained that "I was struck by the naturalness of television interviews. You can say that here, nature is perfect.
If you look for it, you find it because people forget the cameras." As was becoming his custom in pre-production, Rohmer gathered his cast together to discuss the project and their characters, but then allowed each actor to invent their own dialogue.
Rohmer stated that lead actress Marie Rivière "is the one who called the shots, not only by what she said, but by the way she'd speak, the way she'd question people, and also by the questions her character evoked from the others." The film was shot chronologically and in 16mm so as to be "as inconspicuous as possible, to have Delphine blend into t
he crowd as a way, ultimately, of accentuating her isolation." Rohmer also instructed his cinematographer Sophie Maintigneux to keep technical aspects of the shoot to a minimum so as to not interrupt or distract the actors.
The film's only major expense was a trip to the Canary Islands in order to film the green rays there. Rohmer chose to première the film on Canal Plus TV, a pay-TV station that paid $130,000 for the film, which was only one fifth of its budget. Rohmer stated that "Cinema here will survive only because of television.
Without such an alliance we won't be able to afford French films." The experiment paid off when the film was a theatrical hit after being released three days after its initial broadcast. It won the Golden Lion and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1986 Venice Film Festival.
It was mostly praised by film critics, although Alain Robbe-Grillet wrote an unfavorable review and stated "I didn't like it very much."
Career, Business and Investments
Rohmer's career spanned several decades, making him one of the most celebrated directors within the French New Wave movement. His films often featured unconventional storytelling techniques and a focus on dialogue over action, setting him apart from his contemporaries. Rohmer made significant contributions to both cinema and television, including the "Six Moral Tales" and the "Comedies and Proverbs" series.
In terms of investments, Rohmer was not a businessman in the traditional sense; rather, he was dedicated to his craft and invested his time in nurturing young filmmakers and the French cinema landscape. His influence continues to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles around the world.
Rohmer gained international acclaim around 1969 when his film My Night at Maud's was nominated at the Academy Awards. He won the San Sebastián International Film Festival with Claire's Knee in 1971 and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for The Green Ray in 1986. In 2001, Rohmer received the Venice Film Festival's Career Golden Lion.
After his death in 2010, his obituary in The Daily Telegraph called him "the most durable filmmaker of the French New Wave", outlasting his peers and "still making movies the public wanted to see" late in his career.
Social Network
Éric Rohmer was an understated presence in the world of social media, largely due to his passing in 2010. However, his films and legacy hold a significant presence across various platforms where fans and critiques share discussions about his work. Several social media pages and film forums dedicated to Rohmer’s films contribute to the ongoing analysis and appreciation of his contributions to cinema.
Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (21 March 1920 – 11 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the post-World War II French New Wave directors to become established.
He edited the influential film journal Cahiers du cinéma from 1957 to 1963, while most of his colleagues—among them Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut—were making the transition from critics to filmmakers and gaining international attention.
Education
Rohmer began his academic journey in philosophy, originally studying at the University of Paris where he cultivated a deep appreciation for life’s nuances. This philosophical approach heavily influenced his storytelling style and thematic choices in his films. His education extended into film criticism and theory, leading him to becomes a prominent figure in the French New Wave. Rohmer's academic background allowed him to infuse intellectual rigor into his films, making them both entertaining and philosophically rich.
Rohmer was a Catholic. He was secretive about his private life and often gave different dates of birth to reporters. He fashioned his pseudonym from the names of two famous artists: actor and director Erich von Stroheim and writer Sax Rohmer, author of the Fu Manchu series.
Rohmer was educated in Paris and received an advanced degree in history, though he seemed equally interested and learned in literature, philosophy, and theology.
