#550

# 518

Incredibly bleak, but at the same time filled with a sore warmth, shining through in moments of poetic and lyrical beauty.

It's strange, I still have a lot of fondness for this film, but I can't remember any of the plot. It did strike me though.

551

It is very typical poetic realism stuff, but Gabin and the final shot (along with many others) are just so amazing. I may have to re-visit this.

568

Not quite as strong as Carne's or Gabin's best during this period, but it hits the spot in its own way.

Although I wouldn't say this was a bad film by any measure, I don't see what the fuss is about. The cinematography is quite nice, but the story is mundane, and the characters are uninteresting. When they're not being uninteresting, they're acting in ways that make little sense to me. I usually enjoy Jean Gabin, but I found his performance here to be subpar. I never cared much for Carne anyway, but at least Drole de drame is funny. This one just didn't do a damn thing for me.

With Prévert writing about a love triangle, Carné directing, and Gabin and Arletty in leading roles, this is quintessential poetic realism. All the magic is here, but it is like a skimpier sketch for Children of Paradise.

Like with Port of Shadows, Carne does an excellent job creating a dark mood surrounding the film. It works perfectly both from a story perspective and in terms of what the movie has to say about the dark side of people. Gabin is top notch as usual, and the rest of the cast is very good as well.