The 26th Cannes Film Festival took place from 10 to 25 May 1973. Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman served as jury president for the main competition.
The Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, then the festival's main prize, was jointly awarded to American filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg for Scarecrow and British filmmaker Alan Bridges for The Hireling.
During this edition two new non-competitive sections were added: Étude et documents and Perspectives du Cinéma Français (which was started by the French Film Directors' Society and ran until 1991).
This edition was notorious for the controversy around Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain screening due to the film's depiction of extreme violence. While British documentary Swastika by Philippe Mora caused disturbance among the audience by showing Adolf Hitler's daily and social life.
The festival opened with Godspell by David Greene, and closed with Lady Sings the Blues by Sidney J. Furie.
Jury
Main Competition Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress - Jury President Jean Delannoy, French actor and filmmaker Lawrence Durrell, British writer Rodolfo Landa, Mexican actor Bolesław Michałek, Polish film critic François Nourissier, French journalist and writer Leo Pestelli, Italian journalist Sydney Pollack, American filmmaker Robert Rozhdestvensky, Soviet author
Short Films Competition Robert Enrico, French filmmaker - Jury President Samuel Lachize, French film critic Alexandre Marin
Official Selection In Competition The following feature films competed for the Grand Prix International du Festival: English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAna and the WolvesAna y los lobosCarlos SauraSpainBelleAndré DelvauxBelgium, FranceThe Death of a LumberjackLa Mort d'un bûcheronGilles CarleCanadaThe Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon MarigoldsPaul NewmanUnited StatesElectra Glide in BlueJames William GuercioLe Far WestJacques BrelBelgium, FranceGodspell (opening film)David GreeneUnited StatesLa Grande BouffeMarco FerreriItaly, FranceThe HirelingAlan BridgesUnited KingdomHospitals: The White MafiaBisturi, la mafia biancaLuigi ZampaItalyThe Hourglass SanatoriumSanatorium Pod KlepsydrąWojciech HasPolandThe InvitationL'InvitationClaude GorettaSwitzerlandJeremyArthur BarronUnited StatesLove and AnarchyFilm d'amore e d'anarchia, ovvero: stamattina alle 10, in via dei Fiori, nella nota casa di tolleranza...Lina WertmüllerItaly, FranceThe Mother and the WhoreLa maman et la putainJean EustacheFranceMonologueМонологIlya AverbakhSoviet UnionO Lucky Man!Lindsay AndersonUnited KingdomOne Hamlet Less Un Amleto di menoCarmelo BeneItalyLa otra imagenAntoni RibasSpainPetőfi '73Ferenc KardosHungaryScarecrow Jerry SchatzbergUnited StatesThe VowsA PromessaAntónio de MacedoPortugalWe Want the ColonelsVogliamo i colonnelliMario MonicelliItaly
Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:
Cries and Whispers (Viskningar och rop) directed by Ingmar Bergman Day for Night (La Nuit Américaine) directed by François Truffaut A Doll's House directed by Joseph Losey Future Shock directed by Alex Grasshoff The Holy Mountain directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky Lady Sings the Blues directed by Sidney J. Furie Lo Païs directed by Gérard Guérin Olivier Messiaen et les Oiseaux directed by Michel Fano, Denise Tual Picasso, Peintre Du Siècle 1900-1973 directed by Lauro Venturi Story of a Love Story (L'Impossible Objet) directed by John Frankenheimer Swastika directed by Philippe Mora Visions of Eight directed by Miloš Forman, Claude Lelouch, Yuri Ozerov, Mai Zetterling, Kon Ichikawa, John Schlesinger, Arthur Penn, Michael Pfleghar Wattstax directed by Mel Stuart We Can't Go Home Again directed by Nicholas Ray
Short Films Competition The following short films competed for the Short Film Palme d'Or:
Az 1812-es év by Sándor Reisenbüchler Balablok by Břetislav Pojar Langage du geste by Kamal El Sheikh La Ligne de sceaux by Jean-Paul Torok Skagen 1972 by Claus Weeke Space Boy by Renate Druks La Tête by Emile Bourget
Parallel sections International Critics' Week The following feature films were screened for the 12th International Critics' Week (12e Semaine de la Critique):
Le Charbonnier by Mohamed Bouamari (Algeria) The Water Was So Clear (Gaki zoshi) by Yoichi Takabayashi (Japan) Ganja & Hess by Bill Gunn (United States) Kashima Paradise by Yann Le Masson, Bénie Deswarte (France) Enough Praying (Ya no basta con rezar) by Aldo Francia (Chile) Vivre ensemble by Anna Karina (France) Non ho tempo by Ansano Giannarelli (Italy) Nunta de piatră by Mircea Veroiu, Dan Pita (Romania)
Directors' Fortnight The following films were screened for the 1973 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalizateurs):
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes) by Werner Herzog (West Germany) The Sparrow (Al Ousfour) by Youssef Chahine (Egypt) All Nudity Shall Be Punished (Toda Nudez Sera Castigada) by Arnaldo Jabor (Brazil) Black Holiday (La villeggiatura) by Marco Leto (Italy) La città del sole by Gianni Amelio (Italy) Coup d'Etat (Kaigenrei) by Yoshishige Yoshida (Japan) Days of '36 (Meres tou '36) by Theo Angelopoulos (Greece) Desaster by Reinhard Hauff (West Germany) Drustvena Igra by Srdjan Karanovic (Yugoslavia) El Cambio by Alfredo Joskowicz (Mexico) Farlige Kys by Henrik Stangerup (Denmark) Hannibal by Xavier Koller (Switzerland) History Lessons (Geschichtsunterricht) by Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet (West Germany) Lovely Swine (Bel ordure) by Jean Marboeuf (France) Metamorfosis del jefe de la policía política by Helvio Soto (Chile) Payday by Daryl Duke (United States) Photography (Fotografia) by Pal Zolnay (Hungary) Quem é Beta? by Nelson Pereira Dos Santos (Brazil) Réjeanne Padovani by Denys Arcand (Canada) Some Call It Loving by James B. Harris (United States) The Sun Rises Once a Day (Słońce wschodzi raz na dzień) by Henryk Kluba (Poland) Touki Bouki by Djibril Diop Mambety (Senegal) A Season in the Life of Emmanuel (Une saison dans la vie d'Emmanuel) by Claude Weisz (France) La vita in gioco by Gianfranco Mingozzi (Italy) Wedding in White by William Fruet (Canada) Zwartziek by Jacob Bijl (Netherlands)
Short films
Ein Leben by Herbert Schramm (West Germany) El hombre que va a misa by Bernardo Borenholtz (Argentina) Ermitage by Carmelo Bene (Italy) Fil a fil by Christian Paureilhe (France) Grey City by Farshid Meshgali (Iran) Introduction a la musique d'accompagnement by Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet (West Germany) L'audition by Jean-François Dion (France) La version originelle by Paul Dopff (France) Le lapin chasseur by Thomas Lehestre (France) Le soldat et les trois sœurs by Pascal Aubier (France) Le travail du comédien by Atahualpa Lichy (France) Le ventriloque by Carmelo Bene (Italy) Moc by Vlatko Gilic (Yugoslavia) Pourquoi by Jean-Denis Berenbaum (France) Rendez-vous romantique by Michka Gorki (France) Simplexes by Claude Huhardeaux (France) Take Off by Gunvor Nelson (United States) Zastave by Zoran Jovanovic (Yugoslavia)
Official Awards
In Competition Grand Prix du Festival International du Film: The Hireling by Alan Bridges Scarecrow by Jerry Schatzberg Grand Prix Spécial du Jury: The Mother and the Whore by Jean Eustache Best Actress: Joanne Woodward for The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Best Actor: Giancarlo Giannini for Love and Anarchy Jury Prize: The Hourglass Sanatorium by Wojciech Has The Invitation by Claude Goretta Special Award: Fantastic Planet by René Laloux Best First Work: Jeremy by Arthur Barron
Short Films Competition Grand Prix International du Festival: Balablok by Břetislav Pojar Prix spécial du Jury: Az 1812-es év by Sándor Reisenbüchler
Independent Awards
FIPRESCI Prize La Grande Bouffe by Marco Ferreri The Mother and the Whore by Jean Eustache
Commission Supérieure Technique Technical Grand Prize: Cries and Whispers by Ingmar Bergman
OCIC Award Scarecrow by Jerry Schatzberg
References
Media INA: Opening of the Cannes Film Festival (commentary in French) INA: Interview with Jerry Schatzberg for Scarecrow (interview in French and English)
External links 1973 Cannes Film Festival (web.archive) Official website Retrospective 1973 Cannes Film Festival Awards for 1973 at Internet Movie Database