Jane Birkin was a prolific actress with a film career that spanned decades, starting back in 1965. Born in London, Birkin mostly worked as an actress in French cinema, becoming a major movie star in the country for her early roles in films like Slogan, La Piscine, and Cannabis. Alongside her work as an actress, she was a singer, with a number of studio albums throughout her career. However, Birkin is perhaps most famous for being the namesake of Birkin bags, fashion house Hermès’ most famous luxury handbags.
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Sadly, Jane Birkin passed away on July 16, 2023, just two years after suffering a stroke in 2021. Her last film was the docu-drama, Jane by Charlotte, the directorial debut of her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg. Since first appearing in an uncredited role in the film The Knack… and How to Get It in 1965, Birkin had a legendary career right until the end.
10 Daddy Nostalgia (1990)
Jane Birkin as Caroline
Daddy Nostalgia (Daddy Nostalgie), or These Foolish Things in the UK was released in 1990, featuring a strong cast with Dirk Bogard, Jane Birkin, and Odette Laure. The film revolves around a screenwriter named Caroline (Birkin), who goes home to help her dad during the last leg of his illness and the two begin to forge a bond that had been desperately missing for most of their lives.
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Daddy Nostalgia came out in the latter half of Birkin’s career, but it’s some of the best work she has ever done on camera. Birkin’s performance is tender and powerful alongside Dirk Bogard in what would be the last film he was ever in. The chemistry between the two leads is worth watching for itself, but the story is touching and reflective as it explores their father-daughter bond.
9 Don Juan Or If Don Juan Were A Woman (1973)
Jane Birkin as Clara
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Don Juan or if Don Juan Were a Woman was released in 1973 and stars two of the most iconic actresses in French cinema, Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin. Directed by Roger Vadim, the film revolves around a woman who believes that she is the modern-day Don Juan, the legendary fictional character who devotes his life to seducing women. She wants to destroy the men who fall for her looks and confesses to a priest about a murder she has committed while going through her past romantic encounters.
The film is a stylish, erotic thriller that plays with the plays with typical gender roles and expectations.
Although Bardot is the main lead in Don Juan, or if Don Juan Were a Woman as Jeanne, Birkin’s performance is still fantastic. Birkin plays Clara, a young woman who also falls under the spell of Jeanne. The film is a stylish, erotic thriller that plays with the plays with typical gender roles and expectations in interesting ways.
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8 A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries (1998)
Jane Birkin as Mrs. Fortescue
Released in 1998, A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries is one of the later films of Birkin’s career. It was written and directed by James Ivory and stars Birkin, Kris Kristofferson, Leelee Sobieski, Barbara Hershey, and Jesse Bradford. The film is a fictional story of renowned American author James Jones, with Kristofferson playing Bill Willis, a writer and former war hero who drinks a bit too much and must face the issues that arise from that.
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The film largely focuses on the relationship between Kris Kristofferson and Leelee Sobieski’s characters, but Jane Birkin turns out a good performance as Mrs. Fortescue. Familial relationships and drama are at the forefront of this film, grappling with a number of themes that the slice-of-life narrative includes throughout the film’s runtime. The structure of the film is its greatest strength, broken up into three distinct segments that are named after a different protagonist.
7 Love On The Ground (1984)
Jane Birkin as Emily
Love on the Ground is a 1984 French film directed by Jacques Rivette. Jane Birkin stars as Emily alongside a rather strong cast including Geraldine Chaplin, André Dussollier, and Jean-Pierre Kalfon. At nearly three hours long, Love on the Ground’s meta-narrative of a play within a play allows the film to explore the ideas of performance, often blurring the lines between what is fiction and what is reality for the characters.
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Jane Birkin is one of the standout performances in Love on the Ground. As Emily, she is one of the two girlfriends of Silvano, who attempts to hide each girlfriend from the other in a small apartment they go to for a theater performance. Geraldine Chaplin is the other girlfriend, and the two of them play very well off each other throughout the film. The mystery and wittiness of Love on the Ground is what helps give it its unique feeling that Birkin captures well throughout her performance.
6 Evil Under The Sun (1982)
Jane Birkin as Christine Redfern
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Evil Under the Sun
Evil Under the Sun is a 1982 mystery film featuring Peter Ustinov as the astute detective Hercule Poirot. In this adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, Poirot investigates the murder of a glamorous stage actress during a luxurious island vacation. Directed by Guy Hamilton, the film boasts an ensemble cast including Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, and James Mason, and is set against an opulent Mediterranean backdrop.
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*Availability in US Director Guy Hamilton Release Date March 5, 1982 Cast Peter Ustinov , Jane Birkin , Colin Blakely , Nicholas Clay , James Mason , Roddy McDowall , Sylvia Miles , Denis Quilley , Diana Rigg , Maggie Smith Runtime 117 Minutes
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Evil Under the Sun is a 1982 film adaption of the iconic Agatha Christie novel of the same name. It was directed by Guy Hamilton and features Peter Ustinov reprising his role as famed detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of a renowned theater actor, suspecting a number of people throughout the story. Among the suspects is Jane Birkin’s character, Christine Redforn, one of the initial suspects alongside her husband Patrick Redforn, played by Nicholas Clay.
Peter Ustinov’s Hercule Poirot is largely considered the greatest version of Agatha Christie’s iconic character.
Evil Under the Sun is the second Agatha Christie adaptation that Jane Birkin starred in, and she turns out a great performance as Christine. The central mystery in the film is intriguing throughout and Peter Ustinov continues his impressive performance as Hercule Poirot. Evil Under the Sun is quite funny throughout its runtime and features the classic twists and turns associated with an Agatha Christie tale.
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5 Death On The Nile (1978)
Jane Birkin as Louise Bourget
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Death On The Nile PGMystery
Death on the Nile is a classic mystery film directed by John Guillermin, based on Agatha Christie’s novel. Starring Peter Ustinov as the iconic detective Hercule Poirot, the story unfolds aboard a luxurious Nile river cruise where a wealthy heiress is murdered. The ensemble cast includes Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, and David Niven, as Poirot meticulously pieces together the clues to uncover the culprit amidst shifting alliances and hidden motives.
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*Availability in US Director John Guillermin Release Date September 29, 1978 Studio(s) Mersham Productions , EMI Films , Agatha Christie Limited Writers Anthony Shaffer , Agatha Christie Cast Peter Ustinov , Jane Birkin , Lois Chiles , Bette Davis , Mia Farrow Runtime 140 Minutes Budget 7920000.0 Main Genre Mystery Expand
Like Evil Under the Sun that came after it, Death on the Nile is another film adaptation of an Agatha Christie classic. The setting for Death on the Nile is particularly great, as the characters are on a steamer boat making its way down the Nile. It is also the first film where Peter Ustinov played Hercule Poirot, a role that would go on to become one of his best. Death on the Nile is often considered one of the greatest Agatha Christie adaptations.
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Jane Birkin joins a very strong cast that includes Olvia Hussey, Mia Farrow, Lois Chiles, Jon Finch, and Jack Warden. She plays Louise Bourget, the maid of Linnet and Simon Doyle, who unfortunately becomes one of the earliest murder victims. Despite not having a ton of screen time, Birkin’s performance as Louise Bourget is admirable, as she starts out as a minor character before becoming a central aspect of the mystery on board.
4 The Swimming Pool (1969)
Jane Birkin as Penelope Lannier
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The Swimming Pool PGDramaCrime
The Swimming Pool, released in 1969, unfolds in a villa near St. Tropez, where lovers Jean-Paul and Marianne enjoy a tranquil summer until Marianne’s former lover and his teenage daughter arrive. Their presence ignites unease and tension, leading to a complex and perilous emotional entanglement among the four.
Director Jacques Deray Release Date January 31, 1969 Writers Jean-Claude Carrière Cast Alain Delon , Romy Schneider , Maurice Ronet , Jane Birkin , Paul Crauchet , Steve Eckardt , Maddly Bamy , Suzie Jaspard , Thierry Chabert , Ruth Price , Stéphanie Fugain Character(s) Jean-Paul , Marianne , Harry , Penelope , L’inspecteur Lévêque , Fred , La mulâtre , Emilie , Un ami , Singer , Une amie à la party (uncredited) Runtime 123 minutes YouTube Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdiJg9PjGrM Expand
La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) is a 1969 psychological thriller written and directed by Jacques Deray. It stars Romy Schneider, Alain Delon, Maruice Ronet, Jane Birkin, and Paul Caruchet. This early Birkin film is a solid entry into the French New Wave cinema canon, featuring a number of great performances, including Birkin as Penelope Lannier, the daughter of Harry Lannier, played by Ronet.
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The film revolves around the relationship between Marianne and Jean-Paul (Delon) where things take an unexpected turn after she invites her former lover Harry to their villa. The Swimming Pool is a gorgeous-looking film with impressive cinematography. The story is solid enough for what it is going for, but it is the look of the film along with the chemistry between actors that truly elevates it as one of Jane Birkin’s best.
3 Jane B. for Agnes V. (1987)
Jane Birkin As Herself
Jane B. for Agnes V. is an incredible documentary released in 1987 that explores the life of Jane Birkin. It was directed by the legendary French New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda, who stood out as one of the best among her peers. Jane B for Agnes V. was conceptualized after Jane Birkin revealed her apprehension of turning 40. This prompted Varda to want to make a documentary, showing that Birkin’s age is a beautiful thing.
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Jane B. for Agnes V. is a delicate, yet powerful look at one of the most iconic French actresses of all time. It features Jane Birkin looking back on her life and the roles she played over the years, how they shaped the person she is, and her impact on French cinema as a whole. It’s a peek behind the curtain of who Birkin is and an essential documentary as a whole.
2 Blow-Up (1966)
Jane Birkin As The Blonde
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Blow-Up Not RatedDramaMysteryThriller Where to Watch
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*Availability in US Director Michelangelo Antonioni Studio(s) Carlo Ponti Production Distributor(s) Premier Productions Writers Michelangelo Antonioni , Julio Cortázar , Tonino Guerra Cast David Hemmings , Vanessa Redgrave , Sarah Miles , John Castle , Jane Birkin Runtime 111 Minutes Budget 1.8 Million Main Genre Drama Expand
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Released in 1966, Blow-Up was one of the earliest films in Jane Birkin’s career. She is joined onscreen by David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, and John Castle. Written and directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, Blow-Up is a psychological mystery revolving around a fashion photographer who believes he accidentally captured a murder on camera when following a pair of lovers.
Being one of Birkin’s earliest performances, it is also a big breakthrough of hers despite having a rather small role throughout the film. It set the foundation of what was to come for the actress, showing the world that she was a formidable actress who would make an impact on both French cinema and worldwide. It might not technically be the greatest Jane Birkin movie of all time, but it is certainly one of her most important.
1 La Belle Noiseuse (1991)
Jane As Liz Frenhofer
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It’s hard to argue against La Belle Noiseuse being the greatest film of Jane Birkin’s career. Directed by the legendary Jacques Rivette, La Belle Noiseuse is a 1991 French drama starring Michel Piccoli, Emmanuelle Béart, and Jane Birkin. Beautifully shot, La Belle Noiseuse revolves around an older, famous painter who is prompted to come out of retirement to paint a beautiful young woman.
Her portrayal of Liz Frenhofer, the wife of Édouard, is tender and vulnerable.
La Belle Noiseuse is a masterpiece by all means, winning the Grand Prix at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. It’s also the defining, best performance in Jane Birkin’s career. Her portrayal of Liz Frenhofer, the wife of Édouard, is tender and vulnerable and the film’s simple narrative allows Birkin and the rest of the cast the opportunity to truly shine as their characters. It’s a moving film about inspiration and the process of making something beautiful.
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