Search a film or person :
FacebookConnectionRegistration
Pierre Boulle is a Novel French born on 20 february 1912 at Avignon (France)

Pierre Boulle

Pierre Boulle
If you like this person, let us know!
Birth name Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle
Nationality France
Birth 20 february 1912 at Avignon (France)
Death 30 january 1994 (at 81 years) at Paris (France)
Awards Croix de guerre 1939–1945, Officier de la Légion d'honneur

Pierre Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French novelist best known for two works, The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952) and Planet of the Apes (1963) that were both made into award-winning films.

Boulle was an engineer serving as a secret agent with the Free French in Singapore, when he was captured and subjected to two years' forced labour. He used these experiences in The Bridge over the River Kwai, about the notorious Death Railway, which became an international bestseller. The film, named The Bridge on the River Kwai, by David Lean won seven Oscars, and Boulle was credited with writing the screenplay, because its two actual screenwriters had been blacklisted.

His science-fiction novel Planet of the Apes, in which intelligent apes gain mastery over humans, was adapted into a series of five award-winning films that spawned magazine versions and popular themed toys.

Biography

Born Pierre-François-Marie-Louis Boulle in Avignon, France, Boulle was baptised and raised as a Catholic, although later in life he was an agnostic. He studied at the prestigious École supérieure d'électricité (Supélec) where he received an engineer's degree in 1933. From 1936 to 1939, he worked as a technician on British rubber plantations in Malaya. While there he met a Frenchwoman who was separated from her husband. She was to become the love of his life, to whom he would write tender love letters. She later chose to return to her husband, an official in French Indochina. During World War II she and her husband escaped into Malaya, but one of her children died in the process. Boulle would later meet her after the war, and they enjoyed a platonic friendship.

At the outbreak of World War II, Boulle enlisted with the French army in Indochina. After German troops occupied France, he joined the Free French Mission in Singapore. During the war he was a supporter of Charles de Gaulle.

Boulle served as a secret agent under the name Peter John Rule and helped the resistance movement in China, Burma, and French Indochina. In 1943, he was captured by Vichy France loyalists on the Mekong River and was subjected to severe hardship and forced labour. He was later made a chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur and decorated with the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de la Résistance. He described his war experiences in the non-fiction My Own River Kwai. After the war he would keep in touch with his war comrades for the rest of his life.

After the war, Boulle returned to work for a while in the rubber industry, but in 1949 he moved back to Paris and began to write. While in Paris, too poor to afford his own flat, he lived in a hotel until his recently widowed sister, Madeleine Perrusset, allowed him to move into her large apartment. She had a daughter, Françoise, whom Pierre helped raise, but plans for him to officially adopt the girl never materialized.

Best films

Usually with

Rick Jaffa
Rick Jaffa
(3 films)
Amanda Silver
Amanda Silver
(3 films)
James Bacon
James Bacon
(5 films)
Terry Notary
Terry Notary
(4 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Pierre Boulle (10 films)

Display filmography as list

Scriptwriter

War for the Planet of the Apes, 2h20
Directed by Matt Reeves
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, War, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Medical-themed films, Post-apocalyptic films, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Films about disabilities, Political films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Disaster films, Sign-language films, American Sign Language films, Films about language and translation
Actors Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Gabriel Chavarria, Judy Greer, Terry Notary
Roles Novel
Rating73% 3.6971353.6971353.6971353.6971353.697135
Deux ans après avoir affronté les humains et Koba, César et les singes vivent reculés dans une forêt. Leur avant-poste est alors attaqué par une unité militaire pratiquement annihilée dans l'assaut et qui subit une défaite totale, rapportée par radio à leur commandant le colonel McCullough. Selon les dires d'un survivant fait prisonnier et présenté à César, cet homme sanguinaire cherche à tout prix à retrouver César pour installer la domination des hommes sur les primates : bien que ça ne fasse pas l'unanimité, César choisit d'épargner les soldats survivants et de les lui renvoyer avec un message de laisser tomber afin de clarifier les circonstances ayant amené cette situation et prévenir une montée vaine des conflits. Plus tard alors qu'ils s'occupent de leurs morts et blessés, César vient accueillir son fils aîné Yeux-Bleus et Rocket, qui reviennent d'une expédition prolongée et ont apparemment enfin trouvé la terre promise des singes, à des mois de marche de là. Le soir même, après des discussions houleuses sur la suite des événements et la crainte exprimée par Winter, un gorille albinos, la décision est prise de s'y rendre. Mais après l'échec de ses soldats, le colonel McCullough se déplace en personne avec un commando dans le refuge de César afin de le tuer. Il tue le fils aîné de César par méprise ainsi que sa compagne, Cornelia, épargnant sans le savoir leur enfant cadet, Cornelius qui s'était caché. César qui arrive juste avant son départ et constate leur mort, tente de se venger pour son acte mais échoue de peu. Tandis que la colonie a débuté son trajet vers leur futur foyer, César confie alors Cornelius à Lake, la compagne de feu son fils aîné, puis quitte les siens à leur grande surprise pour se lancer seul à la poursuite de McCullough, assoiffé de vengeance. Il est toutefois vite rattrapé et épaulé par ses plus proches amis l’orang-outan Maurice, le chimpanzé Rocket (dont le fils Ash, meilleur ami de Yeux-Bleus, fut également tué, par Koba en son temps) et le gorille Luca.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 2h11
Directed by Matt Reeves, Rupert Wyatt
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action
Themes Films about animals, Films about computing, Medical-themed films, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Films about disabilities, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films, Sign-language films, American Sign Language films, Films about language and translation
Actors James Franco, Judy Greer, Kirk Acevedo, Gary Oldman, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow
Roles Novel
Rating75% 3.79663.79663.79663.79663.7966
Ten years after the worldwide pandemic of the deadly ALZ-113 virus (known as the Simian Flu), human civilization is completely destroyed following martial law, civil unrest and the economic collapse of every country in the world. Over 90% of the human population has died in the pandemic, while apes with genetically enhanced intelligence have started to build a civilization of their own.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 1h50
Directed by Rupert Wyatt
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about animals, Environmental films, Films about computing, Medical-themed films, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Films about viral outbreaks, Films about disabilities, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films, Sign-language films, American Sign Language films, Films about language and translation
Actors James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, Tom Felton
Roles Novel
Rating75% 3.797273.797273.797273.797273.79727
Will Rodman, a scientist at the biotechnology company Gen-Sys, is testing viral-based drug ALZ-112 on chimpanzees to find a cure for brain ailments such as Alzheimer's disease. The drug is given to a chimpanzee, Bright Eyes, greatly increasing her intelligence. However, when Will is presenting 112 to his boss and uses Bright Eyes as an example, she is forced from her cage, goes on a rampage, and is killed. Will's boss Steven Jacobs terminates the project and orders chimp handler Robert Franklin to euthanize the chimps. After doing as ordered, Franklin discovers that Bright Eyes had recently given birth and understands the reason why she was disturbed. He convinces Will to save the baby chimp's life by taking him home temporarily. Will's father Charles, who is suffering from Alzheimer's, names the chimp "Caesar", in reference to William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, from which he can, despite his deteriorating mental condition, cite long passages from memory. Will learns that Caesar has inherited his mother's high intelligence (the 112 virus passing to him in utero) and decides to raise him, working from home and observing his behavior in hopes that he can get the project restarted. Three years later, Will introduces Caesar to the redwood forest at Muir Woods National Monument. Meanwhile, with Charles' condition rapidly deteriorating, Will treats him with ALZ-112 and he is restored to better-than-original cognitive ability.
Planet of the Apes, 1h59
Directed by Tim Burton
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about slavery, Space adventure films, Films about computing, Monde imaginaire, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Time travel films, Sur une planète fictive, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren
Roles Novel
Rating57% 2.8504752.8504752.8504752.8504752.850475
In 2029, aboard the United States Air Force space station Oberon, Leo Davidson works closely with primates who are trained for space missions. His favorite simian co-worker is a chimpanzee named Pericles. With a deadly electromagnetic storm approaching the station, a small space pod piloted by Pericles is used to probe the storm. Pericles's pod heads into the storm and disappears. Against his commanding officer's orders, Leo takes a second pod and goes in pursuit of Pericles. Entering the storm, Leo loses contact with the Oberon and crashes on a planet called Ashlar in the year 5021. He discovers that the world is ruled by humanoid apes who can speak human language and treat human beings as slaves.
Battle for the Planet of the Apes, 1h33
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Themes Films about animals, Films about computing, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden, Lew Ayres, Paul Williams
Roles Characters
Rating54% 2.703922.703922.703922.703922.70392
Told as a flashback to the early 21st century with a wraparound sequence narrated by the orangutan Lawgiver (John Huston) in "North America - 2670 A.D.", this sequel follows the ape leader, Caesar (Roddy McDowall), years after a global nuclear war has destroyed civilization. In this post-nuclear society, Caesar tries to cultivate peace between the apes and the surviving humans. A gorilla general named Aldo (Claude Akins), however, opposes this and plots Caesar's downfall. Caesar is married to Lisa (Natalie Trundy), the female ape of the previous film, and they have a son, named Cornelius (Bobby Porter) in honor of Caesar's father.
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, 1h28
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Films about computing, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Time travel films, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Disaster films
Actors Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalbán, Natalie Trundy, John Randolph, Hari Rhodes
Roles Characters
Rating61% 3.050843.050843.050843.050843.05084
The opening titles set the film in "North America – 1991." Armando (Ricardo Montalbán) explains that in 1983 (ten years after the end of Escape from the Planet of the Apes, which was set two years ahead of its theatrical release date), a disease killed the world's cats and dogs, leaving humans with no pets. To replace them, humans began keeping apes as household pets. Realizing the apes' capacity to learn and adapt, humans train them to perform household tasks. By 1991, American culture is based on ape slave labor (just as Cornelius described would happen in the previous film). It is also suggested that the North America of the 1990s is at least partly a police state, as apes and humans are being watched at all times.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 1h35
Directed by Chuck Roberson, Ted Post
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Adventure, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Themes Films about animals, Films about computing, Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Time travel films, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Arme nucléaire, Disaster films
Actors James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, David Watson, Roddy McDowall, Linda Harrison
Roles Novel
Rating60% 3.0023353.0023353.0023353.0023353.002335
Following the events of Planet of the Apes, time-displaced astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston) and the mute Nova (Linda Harrison) are riding on horseback through the desert of the Forbidden Zone. Without warning, fire shoots up from the ground and deep chasms open. Confused by the strange phenomenon, Taylor investigates a cliff wall and disappears before Nova's eyes.
Planet of the Apes, 1h52
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Action, Adventure, Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Themes Films about animals, Films about computing, Post-apocalyptic films, Psychologie, Films about racism, Films about religion, Time travel films, Films based on science fiction novels, Films set in the future, Films about apes, Political films, Cyberpunk films, Dystopian films, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère, Arme nucléaire, Disaster films, Lobotomie
Actors Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Maurice Evans, Kim Hunter, James Whitmore, James Daly
Roles Novel
Rating79% 3.9973453.9973453.9973453.9973453.997345
Astronauts Taylor (Charlton Heston), Landon (Robert Gunner), Dodge (Jeff Burton) and Stewart are in deep hibernation when their spaceship crashes in a lake on an unknown planet after a long near-light speed voyage, during which, due to time dilation, the crew ages only 18 months. As the ship sinks, Taylor finds Stewart dead and her body desiccated. They throw an inflatable raft from the ship and climb down into it; before departing the ship, Taylor notes that the date is November 25, AD 3978, approximately two millennia after their departure in 1972. Once ashore, Dodge performs a soil test and pronounces the soil incapable of sustaining life.
The Bridge on the River Kwai, 2h41
Directed by David Lean
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, War, Adventure, Historical
Themes Seafaring films, Pont, Prison films, Transport films, Rail transport films, Political films, Évasion
Actors William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Percy Herbert
Roles Novel
Rating80% 4.048624.048624.048624.048624.04862
In World War II, British prisoners arrive by train at a Japanese prison camp in Burma. The commandant, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), informs them that all prisoners, regardless of rank, are to work on the construction of a railway bridge over the River Kwai that will connect Bangkok and Rangoon. The senior British officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), reminds Saito that the Geneva Conventions exempt officers from manual labour.