L'idiot

Fyodor Dostoyevsky possessed an amazing sense of drama, an ability to build his stories to thrilling climaxes and to create unforgettable characters that live and breathe. This makes his novels ideal for the medium of film. In the astonishing absence of a definitive Russian version of 'The Idiot' (I personally find Pyriev's film of 1957 extremely dull) one must look farther afield. Kurosawa's magnificent version came in 1951 preceeded three years earlier by the film under review. Director Georges Lampin and scenarist Charles Spaak have managed to reduce the novel to ninety minutes of screen time. This means that lots of characters have been diminished but we are able to focus on the triangle of the tantalising but unstable Nastasia Filippovna, the brutish, passionate Rogozhin and the saintly, compassionate Prince Myshkin. Their scenes together are electric. Nastasia is one of the author's greatest creations and the divine Edwige Feuilliere gives one of her most astounding performances. Lucien Coedel is mesmerisingly menacing as Rogozhin and Gerard Philippe is totally convincing as a man whose simplicity and goodness are in stark contrast to the cynicism and selfishness around him. Good support from Jean Debucourt, Marguerite Moreno and Natalie Nattier. Superlative score, production design and cinematography with great direction by Lampin whose finest hour this was to be. He returned to Dostoyevsky with a modern dress version of 'Crime et Chatiment' in 1956 and although that film has merit none of his other films alas comes close. Amazing as it may seem Dostoyevsky is not everyones cup of tea but this excellent film serves to remind us of his genius.

Stiffly directed, clumsily edited, weighed down with pointless shots to show off Leon Barsacq's sumptuous sets of 19th century Saint Petersburg, this is still a scorching and hypnotically beautiful romantic melodrama thanks to the sheer magic of its two lead actors. In his first major film role - as the pious Prince Myshkin - Gerard Philippe radiates the most sexualised saintliness you are ever likely to see on screen. As Natasha Filipevna, the doomed courtesan he falls in love with, Edwige Feuillere is at once meltingly sensual and hard-as-nails - a romantic dominatrix in luscious Escoffier gowns, who falls victim to her own finer instincts.

Mind you, I've no idea how this film will play to fans of Dostoevsky. (Personally, I have always loathed his work, finding it an exercise in boring pseudo-spiritual navel-gazing.) Yet for the same crowd of doomed romantics who adored Garbo in Anna Karenina or Omar Sharif and Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago (and may not give a toss for Tolstoy or Pasternak) this is one film to track down at all costs. Admirers of 'deep' Russian fiction will most likely be apoplectic, but don't they all just love to be miserable anyway?

Gérard Philipe, in his first screen role, plays an impoverished Russian aristocrat with an angelic face and a kind heart who is condemned to tell the truth in a tsarist society whose corruption won't allow it. He is a saintly figure. Unfortunately, far from performing miracles, his innate frankness tends to make things worse for everyone around him after confronting them with their inner failures. This film boasts incredible production values (costumes by Escoffier, sets by Bakst) and some of the finest dialog of any French movie (by Charles Spaak). Even Maurice Thiriet's idiosyncratic music manages to sound Russian at times. The film's elliptical retelling of the Dostoeivski novel (in 91 compact minutes) cannot be outdone for sheer intelligent and elegant movie-making. The actors, down to the last bit part (Marguerite Moreno, Sylvie, Debucourt, Chambreuil), are superb and would have made a retelling of "The Three Little Pigs" just as fascinating: Philipe as an unstoppable El Cid figure out of his element is halfway between Don Quichotte and Paphnuce (in Anatole France's "Thaïs") and already reveals his genius; Edwige Feuillère has never been more expressive, magical and mysterious; Lucien Coëdel and Nathalie Nattier might as well have been born for their respective parts since this is one of their too few screen appearances. I just saw this film again on Ontario's French channel, TFO, tonight. It deserves to be restored and made generally available on DVD. If only to show the world what actors there were on this planet before Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio took over.

First time i saw this film was 1947 - in Germany,synchronized into German.A few weeks ago, i was lucky to get a copy in the original, french language. It was a pleasure to see it after so many years. Young Gerard Phillipe was an ideal

Prince. Many scenes of him were silent, in big close-ups. Beautiful

photography,somehow he overshadowed all the other actors. The last, long

close-up from him is as impressive and horrible, as it was so many years

ago,when I saw it beiing only 20 years old.It is a short film - 92 minutes, but it gives the idea, how the book is. I think, there a not to many people who still read Dostoyewsky to-day. The film describes short and clear all the many characters and underlines the main events of the book. This is only one persons opinion. It is a shame, that it is so hard to get a copy of this film - it is a beautiful film.

A film who must see twice. first - as adaptation of Dostoievski masterpiece. twice - for Gerard Philipe performance, for music, costumes, the French translation in image and its essence of a so Russian story. because it is not exactly a simple/good/inspired adaptation . but a hommage. Philipe keeps the flavor of the roles who will come and his Myshkin is fascinating - vulnerable, naive, realistic and moving in close - up scenes. it is a splendid demonstration of the force of huge artistic potential. but the special gift of this adaptation, precise presentation of novel line, is the science to propose to its public to read/discover again, the novel. and to remind the air of a lost period, so seductive . and so near by ideal.