First let me say the Kino Lorber blu ray edition is a beautiful job; the black and white tones come through wonderfully well. A seventy year old film looks almost new.
Some people may dislike the idea of a great star moving out of his comfort zone--movies like Carnet de bal, the Marius trilogy, or the Guitry films--but for me it is wonderful to see Raimu playing an almost terminally cynical and used up man in this one. Loursat seems only one disappointment away from death, and the power of his performance is only increased when we see the supporting cast going about their routines in a boring provincial town. (I wondered why Nicole stayed in that mouldering house--it certainly wasn't for love of her father.) Some famous French movie people--Gabin, Renoir, Clair--left for Hollywood when the war broke out, but the ones who remained made some wonderful pictures, like this one.
Some people may dislike the idea of a great star moving out of his comfort zone--movies like Carnet de bal, the Marius trilogy, or the Guitry films--but for me it is wonderful to see Raimu playing an almost terminally cynical and used up man in this one. Loursat seems only one disappointment away from death, and the power of his performance is only increased when we see the supporting cast going about their routines in a boring provincial town. (I wondered why Nicole stayed in that mouldering house--it certainly wasn't for love of her father.) Some famous French movie people--Gabin, Renoir, Clair--left for Hollywood when the war broke out, but the ones who remained made some wonderful pictures, like this one.