France after stumbling along for 1,100-odd years, having survived the Goths, the boche, and her own internecine politics and society, France has exhausted herself. Time to sell the real estate, jail the politicians, and learn proper English.

The fatal blow, the unmistakable sign, came this week.

I'VE MADE MY FINAL FILM, SAYS GÉRARD DEPARDIEU

October 31, 2005 (Telegraph) - The film career of Gérard Depardieu, France's greatest screen actor and most ungainly sex symbol, is over, the star was reported to have announced yesterday.

The oversized icon, who has a legendary love of wine and food, told the cast and crew of his latest film, Michou d'Auber, which finished shooting last Friday, that it would be his last.

To a stunned cast during a scene change, Depardieu claimed to have had his fill of cinema "I have nothing to lose. I have been in 170 films, I have nothing left to prove. I'm not going to hang on like an imbecile," he said. "I'm stopping shooting. I'm leaving it behind and I'm not even drunk, for once."

What to make of this (in production, scheduled release 2K7) and this (announced, scheduled release 2K6)?

One possible reason for his decision to relinquish the lead in French cinema is the number of flops he has notched up in recent years.* ... Another is his health. Depardieu had a quintuple bypass operation in July 2000 and his doctors have advised him to slow down.

But the announcement may simply stem from his desire to shock. He succeeded in doing that last month in an interview to promote the English version of his cookbook [My Cookbook, with Laurent Audiot] on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

A drunken-looking Depardieu brazenly lit up a Gitane, dismissed some of his latest productions as "grosses merdes", and explained to an incredulous Ross how to cook a hedgehog: "First, you shove a pump up its arse and blow it up to remove the spikes."

He was furious at the outrage his performance provoked back in France, a country he professed to have grown tired of.

"[The British] are people who have a great sense of humour," he said. "It is the French who are cretins."

[Emphases added.]

Never having seen any of M. Depardieu's fabled triumphs -- and we've seen several of his films, most of the grosse merde class and a few petites merdes -- alas, we are not fans. However, M. Depardieu does entertain with his brash impolitic honesty:

Promoting his latest masterwork [Le requin et la mouette (The Shark And The Seagull, that is, dark, murderous America and light soaring France)] on a TV show Dom boasted, "the shark cannot catch the seagull, never!" Gérard Depardieu, who hardly rates in the paperweight class of French intellectual gravitas, was sharing the stage and, apparently having trouble following le philosophe grand, blurted out, "but seagulls are bloody stupid!" (Hat tip: Carine, personal correspondence)

Pave wishes the retired or possibly retired M. Depardieu good luck in his settled career as gastronome-at-large.

* Although familiar to American audiences, M. Depardieu only has B-list pull at the stateside box office. Average USA opening weekend: $2,995,488; average USA gross: $9,452,592.

PFFT (What is this?): The end of France 3 | Loss to world cinema 1 | Loss to French cinema 5 | Rayonnement français 2

Where are your posts about the rioting in France. It keeps expanding to other cities and suburbs. I came here expecting to see some really good info, but instead get to read about Depardieu's retirement.

The French government can't seem to stop it. And now the French "intifada" is increasing in violence. France's willingness to stab her allies (The US and Britain) in the back is seen as a sign of weakness, and French are since considered as Dhimmis by the Muslim population.

The best response they've come up with so far is a march with a banner reading "No To Violence, Yes To Dialogue". Gee, that should keep people from raping and pillaging, don't you think?

If the riots continue I would expect the French to really pull out all the stops, and as a last resort, start singing Kumbayah.

I would guess dildo is too young to remember the Rodney King riots, let alone the L.A. riots in the 1960's, triggered by similar socio-economic issues. And perharps the 20 million dollars donated by French companies to the city of New Orleans could have been better invested?

I would guess dildo is too young to remember the Rodney King riots, let alone the L.A. riots in the 1960's, triggered by similar socio-economic issues.

But zoomer, our cops cracked down on the rioters right away and restored order. France on the other hand, is into what, the 9th or 10th day of rioting? and it's SPREADING to other cities on a national scale, not diminishing, yet the French govt response is focusing on having a 'dialogue' with the thugs, with banners "No To Violence, Yes To Dialogue". WTF!? Grow a pair Frenchies, and deal with this problem instead of pacifying and denying it like your country is so prone to do

PS. Still doing a nice job with Pave Damian. Kudos, although I too am a bit miffed as to why there is no news here on the French riots

I can't beleive I'm agreeing with you, O.B., but it is a difficult situation where copycats events have been spreading and difficult to contain plus it is very easy to set a car ablaze and flee. As far as the banners mentioned, it does not reflect the whole opinion, nor do Americans waving "War Is not The Answer" signs.

As far as the banners mentioned, it does not reflect the whole opinion, nor do Americans waving "War Is not The Answer" signs.

Of course you realize that it's not merely protesters holding banners, but that both Villepin and Chirac are calling for "dialogue" with the rioting criminals. Sarkozy was told to STFU when he suggested early-on that an aggressive crackdown on the thugs was the way to go.. so there is very real doubt that the French have the will to do what is necessary here. My prediction: French government will give the rioting vermin significant concessions, and the rioters will correctly interpret that as an act of French weakness and appeasement, and they will riot again in the near future with even more ferocity as a result. Typical French 'solution' - appeasement & weakness, then sweep problems under the rug.

Wake up Frenchies, and crack some skulls which need to be cracked. You're only making it worse