Deadlier Than the Male

This opens in stunning fashion, with amazing panning shots of Paris' Les Halles in full and glorious flow in the 50s. Parisians must look now at London's Covent Garden development and wonder just what they did to their own central market. Back on screen, the fine sequences continue inside Jean Gabin's busy and successful restaurant, with great movement and sense of excitement. Both Gabin and Daniele Delorme are most effective as the narrative develops but it is a familiar tale and Delorme is only too convincing in her role to deceive just about everyone, seemingly for love but in reality, of course, for dosh. a surprising whipping scene and some scenes of real tension towards the end but this is french and overlong without too many surprises.

From the opening shot of Daniele Delorme as Catherine walking across Les Halles this film takes hold and never loosens its grip. Superbly structured and beautifully paced it builds to a terrifying although somewhat melodramatic finale. This has to be one of Jean Gabin's greatest roles as he does not so much act the part of Andre as inhabit it. The change in this easy-going, good-natured man as he realises that he has been duped and deceived is highly effective. One usually cringes at the titles given to European films for the American market but here Kipling's words 'Deadlier than the Male' are decidedly apt. Lucienne Bogaert, Germaine Kerjean and Gabrielle Fontan play their monstrous characters with relish whilst Daniele Delorme as the 'femme fatale' is stupendous in what would seem, on paper, an extremely difficult role. Her portrayal reminds one of Shakespeare's phrase 'There is no art to find the mind's construction in the face'. The diverse characters in and around the restaurant are wonderfully drawn. Shot by the legendary Armand Thirard and edited by one of director Duvivier's regular collaborators Marthe Poncin, this is film noir of the highest quality. Even the best directors alas have only so many great films in them and although we have good ones like 'Henriette' and 'Marie-Octobre' from Julien Duvivier still to come, the film under review is sadly the last of his very best. Disappointing to see that Cesar the canine chum who plays such a vital role in this film, is uncredited. Oh well, that's showbusiness!

After a long dark winter Jean Gabin comeback to work with Duvivier in this heavy Noir, a divorced Restaurant's owner living in a prosperous life in his high class business, when suddenly appears young daughter of his former wife, Gabin has a young friend who are in final medicine study to be a Doctor, Gabin suggest that both could be a lovely romantic pair, but the young woman will slowly manipulating all situation for your own benefit, seen that Gabin likes too much the prouder student, she acts on both sides, the monster show his sharp claws, so many lies, misleading and finally trying to murder, the heavy atmosphere caught everybody with so madness from this Angel face, the picture always was rejected by the moviegoers, somehow had many best reviews including from Truffaut and others, then the picture will survives and quickly became in a classic from Duvivier-Gabin, a near masterpiece in an old Paris Market, a little bit heavy for some taste, the narrow streets, old decaying area supply an perfect environment to develop such intricate story, just Noir genre allowed it to us!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 9.25

Jean Gabin runs a great restaurant right by Les Halles, the central market of Paris. He's bluff, hardworking, and has taken under his wing Gérard Blain, a poor medical student who works at the market, whom he feeds regularly and takes with him to visit his mother, who runs an inn in the country. Danièle Delorme comes to him from Marseilles. She is the daughter of his ex-wife, who has just died. Gabin takes her in and treats her as a daughter, but comes to have different feelings for her. There's just one problem. Her mother isn't dead. She's a drug addict staying at a cheap hotel nearby, and has a plan for profit.

It's a tale of betrayal directed by Julien Duvivier, and with Gabin in the lead, it's watching both at the top of their forms. One of the strengths of Gabin is his ability to convince you he is what he's playing on screen. As the chef and owner of the restaurant, he's always busy, cooking, dealing with the staff, tending to his customers, catching fish for a fry-up outside his mother's inn. Others get their moments, like Aimé Clariond as an old rake who keeps bringing young actresses to the restaurant, like a character out of a Clouzot film. In fact, it looks like Duvivier is trying to out-Clouzot Clouzot, and he does a fine job of it.

Jean Gabin runs a restaurant in Paris. He manages his team. He has an adopted son, Gérard Blain. There's his mother, who runs a guinguette on the banks of the Marne. His ex-wife's daughter appears; his ex-wife is dead and his daughter doesn't know what to do, so she comes to see him in Paris. It's Danièle Delorme in the role of femme fatale, who returns with designs that we'll gradually come to understand thanks to the script, which moves forward slowly but surely, with points of no return at every turn. She's going to turn Jean Gabin's world upside down.

Danièle Delorme carries the film. Jean Gabin is quite credible as the restaurant owner. Gérard Blain is more monolithic. The life of Jean Gabin's character is turned upside down by all these women: his deceased ex-wife, his ex-wife's daughter, his mother. We could even say that they are all femmes fatales, such is their influence on the various characters. This is a film noir.

It's a good thing that the music is sparse and not overdone like many films of the period. This makes the film even stronger. A very pleasant surprise.