Classic French Cinema Discussion Thread

Hi all,I today decided to dip into my pile of unwatched Moviedetective discs:

Flight Into Darkness (1935)8



Pre-dating by a decade the “buddies exchanging wisecracks whilst proudly serving for their country” genre that would become a staple of US cinema from WWII,co-writer/(with Joseph Kessel) director Anatole Litvak’s adaptation of Kessel’s own novel lands in WWI with the thick bond of friendship between Maury and Herbillon brightly burning, but brilliantly curls it into the melancholy,rather than the comedic. Welcoming the viewer to the partying and high-flying times of the squad, the writers gradually bring the love triangle laying under the surface between Helene and her husband Maury’s bond with Herbillon onto the horizon, which darkens the sky on a richly melodrama final.

Gathered round the pubs of WWI singing army songs such as "auprès de ma blonde", director Litvak & Henri Georges-Clouzot’s future regular cinematographer Armand Thirard soar into action with beautiful, ultra-stylised overlapping dissolves unlocking the heart of the love triangle, and sweeping the dissolves along the aftermath of the battlefields. Appearing to be a mix of real and studio shot, Litvak and Thirard give the sky fighting action scenes a real weight, via elegant wide-shots capturing the strategic alignment of the planes, matched by close-ups in the planes on the emotions running across the faces of the pilots. Holding a love for each other, Charles Vanel, Jean-Pierre Aumont and “ Annabella” each give excellent performances as the the tangled loves, via Vanel digging into the big hearted, world weariness of Maury, Aumont keeping Herbillon aching to keep his romance and friendship beating, whilst Annabella has Helene strike an alluringly tragic nerve, as Helene looks to the sky, and sees the flight into darkness.

Hi vegalyra,the version I watched was from a fansite,with English Subs. I'm pleased to report that I've just stumbled on the film on YT,with the English subtitles:



Hope you like it,MDF.

I'm just about ripe for a Frenchie weekend very soon, forgot I had purchased Le Doulos (1963) last year so that's in the pile now along with A Man Escaped (1956), Le Boucher (1970), Honour Among Thieves (1954) and I have to rewatch and review Rififi (1955) as well.

And I'm pretty sure I have a couple of little known Frenchie Noirs that melvelvit sent me that I also need to dig out.

Oh and still 2 to see out of my Delon box set...

Hi all,after downloading it a few weeks ago,I decided it was time to view a Robert Hossein Noir.



“The worst thing in the world after stupidity is clumsiness.” 10.

The Road to Shame (1959) 10.

Credited as an “Assistant editor”, Michel Deville’s regular co-writer/editor Nina Companeez makes her distinctive mark on editor Laurence Mery-Clark’s cutting style, in outstanding, jarring smash-cuts giving the fight scenes a blunt edge,and Companeez’s smash-cuts for unexpected confrontations Rossi faces giving them a from out of nowhere sense of surprise. Loitering around like a street rat, Robert Hossein gives a excellent performance as the dead-eyed Noir loner Rossi, whose stubbornness to brush off the threats from gangsters has Hossein gives Rossi a rough and tumble manner, shoving aside any thug blocking him from his dame love. Slithering round the drugged dames, (which includes a very good Magali Noël as Coraline Merlin) Philippe Clay is an utter creep as gangster Tom. Carrying a wry smirk, Clay has Tom hand out punishment to “trouble” with an abrasive strike that puts anyone who speaks up back in line.

Drugging all the women to join the white slave trade, director Edouard Molinaro & cinematographer Robert Juillard give the hazy state a quality touch of sleaze, exposing the bare flesh of the sexy ladies, and giving the fight scenes peculiar tools (the only Noir where plant pots are used as weapons?) Jazzing up the dark side streets with a breezy Jazz score from Art Blakey, Molinaro ignites an excellent seedy Film Noir atmosphere, panning the long streets Rossi drags his heels down, and in tightly coiled shots holds Tom lurking in the shadows set to pounce on Rossi. Welding the editing styles of Clark and Companeez with ease, Molinaro superbly matches the elegance of panning shots round the house with frenzied close-ups,whip-fast tracking shots and fast-moving wide-shots stylisation smashing into Rossi’s face. Set over one night, Albert Simonin and Gilles Morris-Dumoulin’s adaptation of Morris-Dumoulin’s own novel tensely place Rossi and Tom as two sides of the same Noir loner coin, via Rossi being drained of nothing else to care for but holding his dream woman again, while Tom has long ago beaten up any remains of remorse or regret for a desire to go up the black market food chain,as they both walk down the road to shame.

Hi all,being a fan of Jacques Prevert's work with Marcel Carne,I decided to take a look at Jacques working with his brother.




“A good Shepard must return to his flock.”

Voyage surprise (1947) 9

The third and final time he would work with his brother Jacques, co-writer/director Pierre Prevert & cinematographer Jean Bourgoin travel with a fuelled optimism from post- WWII France, gazed at in a dazzling kaleidoscope symphony of classical music and sweeping tracking shots following the passengers on their journey. Rolling into the surreal, Pierre gives each pit stop the travellers make humorous stylish flourishes flowing from the ramshackle, rickety bus ride, to a cheeky escapade to the SOS Hurricane bedroom in the old Verdeau's whorehouse. Adapting Andre Gillois and Jean Nohain’s novel for their last team-up, (joined by co-writer Claude Accursi) brothers Pierre and Jacques Prevert unveil an absolutely magical mystery tour. Drawing each traveller with refined poetic dialogue, which along with being playfully comedic,also reflects the excitement of freedom in France. Spinning the wheel to various destinations, the writers heighten each visit with a striking fantasy twist, which makes set-pieces such as the priest unintentionally hyping the voyage, and a soaring performance from the gang being mistaken for a theatrical troupe, as they all step aboard for a voyage surprise.

Film for film, I think France puts out the highest number of excellent films.

1.Jules et Jim
2. Last Year at Marienbad
3. Murmur of the Heart
4. Going Places
5. Elevator to the Gallows
6. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosie
7. Les Diabolique
8. Les Biches
9. Shoot the Piano Player
10. Mr. Hulot Take a Holiday
11. Le Trou
12. Bay of Angels
13. The Tenant 
14. Masculine/Feminine
15. Eyes Without a Face

A reminder:

'
The original vamp? Musidora  born 120 years ago.


Directer Claude Sautet in action, born 95 years ago.

I had plans doing some profiles on those two, but after flopping with Jacques Deray (though support from Pimpin), I wait . 

I would have liked to dig more into those names, but I've let it pass, this time.

Hi all,with having found the 3 films I've seen be him to be outstanding,I was trying to decide what I should next watch from the Melville set. After seeing hitchcockthelegend mention it,I went for Le Doulos (1963).

Note:I've avoided any big spoilers.





“One has to choose. Die…or lie?”

Le Doulos.10

Shuffling round quietly as his hands become covered in blood,Jean-Paul Belmondo gives a spectacular performance as Noir loner Silien. Holding to his heart a samurai loyalty to Maurice, Belmondo pulls Silien’s clipped dialogue towards his sunken eyes, with Belmondo keeping his face hollow and eyes low as he crawls at the dirt of the underworld to get his friend freed. Locked away unaware of Silien’s moves, Serge Reggiani gives a a great, brittle turn as Faugel, whose time spent behind bars and backstabbing has Reggiani feed into this Noir loner a mistrusting abrasiveness, which creates cracks when rubbed against Silien’s sincere belief to get Faugel free.

Later calling this “My first real policier”, writer/directing auteur Jean-Pierre Melville’s adaptation of Pierre Lesou’s novel brilliantly continues an expansion on Melville’s recurring themes of an impossibility to remove doubts over mistrust and deceit from the bonds between friends and lovers. Sending Silien out on the streets as a lone Film Noir samurai,Melville brilliantly has Faugel’s opening diamond heist reverberate to the bitter end, as a paranoia over who informed of the theft pulls Faugel, Silien and the rest of the underworld into an unwavering mindset of retribution for the sparkling diamonds.

Reuniting with Two Men in Manhattan (1959) cinematographer Nicolas Hayer, Melville picks up a doulos (a type of hat) and pulls out a mesmerising Film Noir atmosphere of ultra-stylised shadows running across every murky side street Melville tracks down, and in startlingly bare close-ups looks into the soulless gaze Silien commits each killing with. Clouding trust in deep black and white, Melville splinters the violence with expertly handled lone drips of blood running down the coats of loners across the screen and covering the doulos.

JPM ranking:

1:Le Silence de la Mer

2: Le Doulos

3: When You Read This Letter.

4:Army of Shadows.