Topaze

Significantly rougher than its expurgated American cousin starring John Barrymore, this is also a funnier and more poignant commentary on the evil ways of the world, in which an adorably nerdy schoolmaster (another unforgettable performance by Jouvet) learns the sad lesson that only the hard-hearted survive.

The most famous of the three movies Louis Gasnier made in France .Although France is his native country,the main body of his work is American .

Based on a Marcel Pagnol play , this is another Jouvet 's triumph ; the author remade "Topaze" in 1950 ,but it was overlong (135 min) and cannot be ranked among the director's greatest achievements .Besides, Fernandel lacked cynicism, wickedness ,was too full of bonhomie to portray the teacher-turned- businessman successfully .

Jouvet's performance is brilliant ,and against all odds ,the fifties version has not aged as well as this one.Jouvet was a stage/pictures genius (recently ,they dared to remake " knock" whereas his portrayal was close to perfect) : here his metamorphosis is stunning:from a bashful ,colorless and conscientious teacher to the elegant smart calculating frontman who eventually teaches his boss who's in charge here.

In the Muche boarding-school,moral proverbs are written on the classroom walls:"money can't buy happiness ""ill-gotten gains seldom prosper "; Topaze does believe in what he teaches ; after being sacked by his contemptuous headmaster, his naivete inspires a corrupt city council man with confidence ,and little by little,he learns the tricks of the trade :the humiliated teacher whose ignorance of business was taked for granted, shows himself more ambitious and more cynical than those who used to look down on him.

Jouvet gets strong support from Edwige Feuillère and Pierre Larquey :the former is a self-interested seductress who shines in the scene when she passes herself off as a victim of fate whose life would be ruined if the frontman revealed the truth.The latter is a good guy ,a teacher who still believes in education ,but his last line (which could be that of recent comedies) calls his future into question.

A comic but ultimately transgressive tale of a socially inept schoolmaster who must confront his own principles. Is he too honest for his own good? Or is it the town that needs cleaning up? Louis Jouvet gives his usual stunning performance as the professor, whose troubles are either caused or solved by the snappy Edwige Feuillère, in her amazing Schiaparelli getups. Some of the film-making is a bit primitive (e.g., a heavy handed cross-fade from a horse's tail to the rear of a character, and the usual harsh sound mix of French films from this period), but the good acting and thought-provoking plot (not the mention the art deco designs) make the film worthwhile.

Louis Jouvet is one of the greatest actors of all time. To think that TOPAZE was his film debut only underlines his quality. Physically and in his meticulous approach to acting he reminds me of Daniel Day-Lewis and his superb debut in ROOM WITH A VIEW (needless to say, Day-Lewis went on to become a three-time Best Actor Academy Award winner, the only actor thus far to have achieved that feat.)

His transformation from low income teacher with scrupulously honest principles to cold-hearted, sophisticated fraudster is gradual yet swift, hardworking yet subtle, and shrewd beyond all expectations, reflecting a capacity to survive in a dog eat dog world that the position of schoolteacher had failed to develop, but which he intelligently turned to his advantage.

TOPAZE plays out like a game of chess between those in positions of power who try to use Albert Topaze to their advantage and the fast learning apprentice who turns the tables on them.

The dialogue is sharp, the acting is superior (especially Jouvet and Feuillere), photography is competent enough, and direction by Louis Gasnier quite inspired, considering that in 1933 France had only just become acquainted with the production of sound films.

Thought-provoking satire on human greed. Must-see. 9/10

On a text of Pagnol, the first movie of Jouvet who is already impressive, add Edwige Feuillère and Paul Pauley and you have a fabulous cocktail for an excellent time watching this movie.