While it is true that the interest for the New Wave has practically buried France's best films in a pile of neglect, it is not the purpose of this thread/comment to remind people of that sad fact. It would take at least a book to explain the history of neglect of French film classics during the last 30 years.(Benoit A Racine,IMDb user and French cinema connoisseur)
Unless the glacier may give back its prey....the fusty Cahiers du Cinema doesn't. But who knows ? Some day,some French cine buff will give a chance to "La Fille Aux Yeux Gris" and discover that Fred Zinnemann's "five days one summer" (1982) took its most mind-boggling idea from a forgotten obscure black and white French flick.
Like in "Service De Nuit" ,the screenplay is brilliantly written,but with better results .All the characters are vividly depicted whereas,with the exception of two of them,the heroes of Faurez's debut were rather flat.Sometimes melodramatic,sometimes wonderfully romantic (I'm waiting for a rendezvous;If I am not here anymore,you'll meet her), sometimes a movie of redemption (the last lines for once do not concern the youth ,but an old couple,sort of something like "Should I fall behind,please wait for me"),and even a detective story (probably the least satisfying side of the movie)
Fernand Ledoux is the stand out of the movie,in a much more interesting part than in Faurez's Poesque "Histoires Extraordinaires" which is ,of the four Faurez movies I had the opportunity to watch ,the weakest.
Faurez's talent has never had fair recognition;let's hope that someday ,it will.
Like this ?try these....
Manon Des Sources ,MARCEL PAGNOL ORIGINAL VERSION,1952
Five days one summer,Fred Zinnemann,1982
Rapt,Dimitri Kirsanoff,1934
Stars in my crown,Jack Tourneur,1950
