As an actor, Pierre Clémenti became a post-new Wave icon through Luis Buñuel's Belle de jour (1967). Clémenti's role as a jealous gangster obsessed with the protagonist (Catherine Deneuve) was fascinating because of its fusion of angelic beauty with bottomless, headstrong energy, the trademark of his exceptional talent. His often uncommercial but ambitious choice of roles brought him together with many master directors from around the world: Luchino Visconti, Bernardo Bertolucci, Philippe Garrel, Liliana Cavani, Jacques Rivette, and more.
