Jean Cocteau

The Profile

Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) was a French poet, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, and visual artist associated with the European avant-garde. He created landmark films such as La Belle et la Bête and Orphée, and wrote notable works including Les Enfants terribles and La Voix humaine.

Born 5 July 1889 in Maisons-Laffitte, France; died 11 October 1963 in Milly-la-Forêt, France. Elected to the Académie française in 1955. Directed La Belle et la Bête (1946), Orphée (1950), and Le Testament d'Orphée (1960). Author of Les Enfants terribles (1929), La Voix humaine (1930), and La Machine infernale (1934). Collaborated with Erik Satie and the composers of Les Six; wrote the text for Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex.

A reflective review focuses on Cocteau’s Clair-Obscur, reading it as a late, pared-down confession from a once-flamboyant polymath. The critic contrasts youthful provocation with lucid brevity, noting echoes of classicism and a mood of defeat and tenderness. Public facts: Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, and visual artist active from the 1900s to 1963.