Thanks to the generosity of the guys in France and Norway I now own copies of arguably the three most significant films of writer-director Albert Valentin. Chronologically these are L'Entraineuse, Marie-Martine and this one. Unfortunately Valentin's self-esteem was weaker than his talent and when films of this caliber met with critical mauling and public indifference he threw in the towel and played out his career writing pot-boilers in Italy and Germany. His CV is modest compared to some; 35 writer and 13 director credits (I actually listed some of these but the IMDb computer will not allow me to post this comment until I delete them; I have encountered this problem before and written to the helpdesk and thought it was fixed but the computer still insists I have made 'many spelling' mistakes). It's doubtful whether many filmmakers in 1944 were exploring a story from two opposing viewpoints (indeed it is still comparatively rare enough to draw special mention when it was employed a couple of years ago in 'A la folle ... pas du tout') but by then Valentin was an old hand having made Marie-Martine in a highly complex time-frame. The concept of a member of the demi-monde attempting to become upwardly mobile was one that had informed Valentin's 'L'Entraineuse' with the difference that whilst in the former Michele Morgan merely worked in a nightclub in this one Albert Prejean actually owns Le Vie de plaisir and whilst Morgan aspired only to friendship with a higher caste Prejean actually marries into the Aristocracy and both, needless to say, live to regret it. Somewhat incredibly there is only one comment on this delightful film and that poster has mentioned most of what I would have said so that I can do little but endorse that opinion. I did find especially interesting the Establishing scene in the nightclub where the chorines emerge from the bell of a huge saxophone perhaps an unconscious comment on the women and song (the wine being in evidence on the tables) aspect of wine, women and song. From then we are introduced to the denizens of this world, one of the few milieus in which High and Low society can meet freely. In a magnificent stroke the opposing viewpoints are put forward by the Prosecution and Defense in a divorce case involving Prejean and his Aristocratic wife - as each lawyer addresses the Court so we flashback for a His and Hers view of the courtship and marriage. In the midst of this is a somewhat surrealistic scene where a Bishop in full regalia, complete with entourage and extensive religious paraphernalia solemnly blesses a pack of hounds about to engage in a hunt. Indeed bloodsport plays a large part in the family into which Prejean has married and Spaak is on top form as he has Prejean toss a wry comment after his wife as she leaves for a shoot 'tell the pigeons I'm with them'. With these two scenes - the same Bishop who blessed the hunt will not intercede on behalf of the young aristocrat who has impregnated a girl and wishes to marry her but cannot go against the family wishes - Spaak and Valentin state clearly their stance on the rules of behavior that obtained at the time. In short this is a minor gem and I hope that others will seek it out and be moved to write about it.
4 Reviews
The bishop blesses the dogs.
dbdumonteil5 August 2006
"La Vie de Plaisir" ,like "Le Corbeau" ,was deemed infamous and banned after the Liberation.The censorship was ruthless and dumb.Albert Valentin would never get over it and ,after two more movies,became a writer ,sometimes lost in sword and sandal material .
However ,during the war,he was one of the most promising directors France had.His three movies ,although ignored by today's audience are all worthwhile:
1942:"L'entraineuse" was a delicate melodrama where Michèle Morgan was a night club hostess who tried to make friend with decent people.
1943:"la Marie-Martine" which many critics consider his best was a woman's portrait a la Citizen Kane ,flouting chronology long before "Memento" and co.
1944: By combining the subject of "L'entraineuse" ( a character enters a world where he does not belong) with the experiments of "la Marie Martine" (We see the same scenes from two points of view : a trick that André Cayatte would use again in ...1963 for his "la Vie Conjugale" ,Albert Valentin brings it all back home and makes one of the lost masterpieces of the occupation days.
An aristocrat institutes divorce proceedings against his son-in-law ,a commoner,ex-owner of a night club "La Vie de Plaisir" (Life of pleasure).Flashbacks:the two lawyers tell the unfortunate love story and Charles Spaak lets his inspiration flow...
The hunting with hounds is the scene which always comes to mind when someone speaks of Valentin's movie:the bishop,with pomp and ceremony ,blesses the pack,a scene which Luis Bunuel would have loved!Then the younger son of the noble man who got pregnant the woman he wants to marry (but his family is not prepared to accept a misalliance)tells the ecclesiastic: "so you've blessed dogs and you would not bless my union!"Another strong scene shows Maulette(Albert Préjean) the simple man telling his wife leaving for the (clay?) pigeon shooting where she meets her father and her ex-suitor "tell the pigeons I side with them!" This cruel "sport" is a transparent metaphor of how that aristocracy treats their fellow men.
Valentin /Spaak portray the wealthy vitriolic style.
However ,during the war,he was one of the most promising directors France had.His three movies ,although ignored by today's audience are all worthwhile:
1942:"L'entraineuse" was a delicate melodrama where Michèle Morgan was a night club hostess who tried to make friend with decent people.
1943:"la Marie-Martine" which many critics consider his best was a woman's portrait a la Citizen Kane ,flouting chronology long before "Memento" and co.
1944: By combining the subject of "L'entraineuse" ( a character enters a world where he does not belong) with the experiments of "la Marie Martine" (We see the same scenes from two points of view : a trick that André Cayatte would use again in ...1963 for his "la Vie Conjugale" ,Albert Valentin brings it all back home and makes one of the lost masterpieces of the occupation days.
An aristocrat institutes divorce proceedings against his son-in-law ,a commoner,ex-owner of a night club "La Vie de Plaisir" (Life of pleasure).Flashbacks:the two lawyers tell the unfortunate love story and Charles Spaak lets his inspiration flow...
The hunting with hounds is the scene which always comes to mind when someone speaks of Valentin's movie:the bishop,with pomp and ceremony ,blesses the pack,a scene which Luis Bunuel would have loved!Then the younger son of the noble man who got pregnant the woman he wants to marry (but his family is not prepared to accept a misalliance)tells the ecclesiastic: "so you've blessed dogs and you would not bless my union!"Another strong scene shows Maulette(Albert Préjean) the simple man telling his wife leaving for the (clay?) pigeon shooting where she meets her father and her ex-suitor "tell the pigeons I side with them!" This cruel "sport" is a transparent metaphor of how that aristocracy treats their fellow men.
Valentin /Spaak portray the wealthy vitriolic style.
"What a waste of time,love is a burden."
morrison-dylan-fan23 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
When reading up on the five French films from 1944 currently with English subtitles,dbdumonteil's review made this sound the most enticing of the handful, leading to me entering the pleasure palace.
View on the film:
Partly set during Christmas Eve, co-writer/ (with Charles Spaak) director Albert Valentin presents a tantalising "What could have been" mood,on a title which ended his run of films for four years,after this movie got banned at the end of the Occupation.
Closely working with Carnival of Sinners (1943-also reviewed) editor Christian Gaudin, Valentin courts the pessimism of Film Noir for a brittle atmosphere shimmering across dazzling, ultra-stylised dissolves between the high (court) of society, and the (as seen by the rich) low night club- a place Maulette had envisioned where all levels of society could freely mingle.
Setting out the rules of the game with gliding tracking shots across the court room towards graceful close-ups on Helene, (played by a alluring Claude Genia.)
Valentin contrasts the chic, wide-panning shots across the glamour of the nightclub, by loading up on the wicked discreet charms of the bourgeoisie, (a society Maulette wants to climb the ladder up to, but one he never fits into) tilting towards them as they scuff over Maulette (played with a terrific unsettled edge by Albert Prejean) on the hunting ground,which Valentin hits with a startling shot of surreal satire by overlapping a cackling bishop blessing howling hounds.
Over a decade before the French New Wave would reach cinemas and years before alternative views were offered in Rashomon (1950),the screenplay by Valentin & Spaak take a thrilling, experimental stance to the court hearing, seamlessly criss-crossing the different perspectives unveiled in flashbacks, that is being up by lawyers on opposing sides,as evidence to a life of pleasure.
View on the film:
Partly set during Christmas Eve, co-writer/ (with Charles Spaak) director Albert Valentin presents a tantalising "What could have been" mood,on a title which ended his run of films for four years,after this movie got banned at the end of the Occupation.
Closely working with Carnival of Sinners (1943-also reviewed) editor Christian Gaudin, Valentin courts the pessimism of Film Noir for a brittle atmosphere shimmering across dazzling, ultra-stylised dissolves between the high (court) of society, and the (as seen by the rich) low night club- a place Maulette had envisioned where all levels of society could freely mingle.
Setting out the rules of the game with gliding tracking shots across the court room towards graceful close-ups on Helene, (played by a alluring Claude Genia.)
Valentin contrasts the chic, wide-panning shots across the glamour of the nightclub, by loading up on the wicked discreet charms of the bourgeoisie, (a society Maulette wants to climb the ladder up to, but one he never fits into) tilting towards them as they scuff over Maulette (played with a terrific unsettled edge by Albert Prejean) on the hunting ground,which Valentin hits with a startling shot of surreal satire by overlapping a cackling bishop blessing howling hounds.
Over a decade before the French New Wave would reach cinemas and years before alternative views were offered in Rashomon (1950),the screenplay by Valentin & Spaak take a thrilling, experimental stance to the court hearing, seamlessly criss-crossing the different perspectives unveiled in flashbacks, that is being up by lawyers on opposing sides,as evidence to a life of pleasure.
who's the richest?
happytrigger-64-3905172 April 2019
I admire "Marie-Martine" directed by Albert Valentin. I had to see ""la Vie de Plaisir", dark vitriolic portrait of aristocraty (with a double point of view during a trial, the aristocratic arranged truth and the real truth). In a raced and elegant society, Aimé Clariond and Maurice Escande matches on the dot that toxic ugliness while Albert Préjean is the sincerity personified. And Noël Roquevert as Préjean's lawyer telling the truth plays also frankly, as Yves Deniaud as Préjean's servant. Banned after the war, "la Vie de Plaisir" is a great movie and now deserves recognition by dvd release, like so many fine french forgotten movies like "le Secret de Madame Clapain", "Monsieur des Lourdines" and "la Grande Meute" (with again Aimé Clariond).
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