An all-star jury at cinema's top showcase led this year by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg crowned the graphically erotic coming-of-age story set in France and clocking in at an epic three hours.
In an unusual step, Spielberg awarded the prize to Kechiche and the film's two stars, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who joined him on stage to cheers and calls of "bravo" from the ceremony's audience.
"I should like to dedicate this film to the wonderful youth of France whom I met during the long period while making this film," he said.
"Those young people taught me a lot about the spirit of freedom and living together."
The Tunis-born Kechiche, 52, also hailed the spirit of the Arab Spring as he claimed his gong.
"I would also like to dedicate this film to other youth, something which happened not so very long ago, the revolution in Tunisia," he said. "They also have this aspiration to live free, to express themselves freely and to love in full freedom."
The runner-up award, the Grand Prix, went to Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis starring Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and newcomer Oscar Isaac in the title role, which delighted audiences with a mix of soulful 1960s folk singing and absurdist humour.
The Coens' film Barton Fink won Cannes in 1991 and the brothers last entered the running in 2007 with No Country for Old Men.
IE still is the marketplace leader and a large part of other folks will miss your great
writing due to this problem.
Check out my webpage reklamy