Carnaval

"Manon Des sources " was Pagnol 's last hurrah ,and it's both his final masterpiece and his swansong in the cinema field ; "carnaval "is credited to Henri Verneuil ,though some historians list it in Pagnol''s filmography.

The screenplay written by Pagnol is too repetitive to be really enthusing ; one feels a Sacha Guitry influence ,but it's generally devoid of the latter's wit . To tell to the whole world you're a cuckhold ,it may be funny in the first thirty minutes (and Pauline Carton is hilarious),but after a while it drags on and on when you keep repeating it.The title is a misnommer for the carnival appears after more than an hour,unless the writer sees the events as a burlesque vision of life: the wife insists her husband be examined by a shrink who reveals himself zanier than his patient .

There's the obligatory song , on a float where the cuckold gathers his unfortunate mates ;and there's Fernandel's final monologue which proves that he was as gifted an actor as anyone in comedy or in drama,but pick up "regain" ,"Angèle" or "la fille du puisatier" instead.

I've found this movie on You-tube and I wanted to see it immediately because of the reputation of Henri Verneuil, a great director who made extremely important films, movies that fascinated my childhood and youth: "The 25th Hour" (1967), "The Sicilian Clan" (1969), "The Burglars" (1971), "The Serpent" (1973), "The Night Caller" (1975), "I ... For Icarus"(1979). Before these masterpieces, Verneuil made several comedies with Fernandel, some very good: "The Most Wanted Man" (1953), "The Sheep Has Five Legs" (1954), "The Cow and I" (1959). This "Carnival", made in 1953 with the same Fernandel in the lead role, is not the same caliber. It's not bad, it's worth seeing, if you really like Fernandel. But it's boring, just talking.

This does not show up on lists of classic Pagnol movies with Marius or The Baker's Wife, but I don't know why. The dialogue is brilliant, up to Pagnol's best. And Fernandel, an underrated actor, is truly magnificent here as a husband who believes he has been cheated on by his wife. Rather than hide in shame, he announces to the world that his is a cuckold, and is astounded to see how the rest of the community reacts. The movie is definitely Fernandel's, and he is so good that you sit in amazement at his talent and depth.

This is what they call an "undiscovered gem." Discover it. You will be glad you did.