Michael Lonsdale's long career as an actor and comedian is remarkable. He died eight days ago, at the age of 89. Some would say, he "died", ... and yet! How can the peace of a face and the light of the eyes disappear? The music of the soul and a deep voice, playing in intonations and silence, die out?
Michael Lonsdale has acted under the direction of the greatest filmmakers (Mocky, Truffaut, Duras, Annaud) and we know his unforgettable performance as Brother Luc in Xavier Beauvois' Of Gods and Men. Stars can play on their egos, but this is not the glory that Michael Lonsdale was looking for. "The artist," he said, "generally does this job because he wants to express beauty, to do something good; he needs to transmit so that we may like him." He made people laugh when he received the first César of his career of 140 films: at the age of 80, receiving the trophy in his hands, he exclaimed: "Ah, there you are, you little rascal. It took you a long time!" before concluding wisely and to applause: "Better late than never."
On the airwaves of RCF, in 2012, in an interview with Laetitia de Traversay, Michael Lonsdale spoke of his passion for beauty combined with a deep and living faith. The actor sometimes perceived, in his profession, while interpreting great figures – like Saint Seraphim of Sarov, and also while embracing the role of Brother Luke in Tibherine – that it was not he who was acting, but someone, a presence in him who said what he had to say, who did what was necessary ... The path was all mapped out. The experience of filming " Of Gods and Men" was unforgettable and still very close to the actor, nourished by the presence and life of the monk doctor who, until the age of 82, from 7 in the morning to 10 in the evening, treated and generously gave his advice to whoever wanted it. Between the walls and the garden of Tibherine, which the film depicts wonderfully, still resonates the improvised dialogue where he speaks of love to a young Algerian woman, answering the question: " when do we know that we are truly in love? " It is not surprising that Michael Lonsdale embodies Brother Luke so much in this space where the monks gave their lives forever for love. We know the actor's humility and generosity, and his passion for the text of the Song of Songs in the Bible. Rembrandt's painting of the Prodigal Son was also his favorite work. With Michael Lonsdale, we are mysteriously on the path to the service of God and beauty, On the path with beauty.
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