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Marcel Carné - don't hate me for not loving "Children of Paradise"

Posted by Victor Khomenko (M) on September 4, 2002 at 07:34:57

I am afraid admitting this is akin to saying I don't like sex. Well, I didn't like it thirty some years ago when I saw it for the first time. I didn't like it this time, when it came out on Criterion. Good quality, to be sure, your typical Criterion... behind which not much at all, same boring half-acting, cardboard characters and the lead actress with bad teeth.

Renting a film by Carne in the middle of the state of Delaware is like renting a Mongolian one in the middle of Paris. Well, at least this is what I suspect, as I obviously have never rented the Mongolian film, let along in Paris. What I am trying to say is that Carne is not exactly your Oliver Stone... and for a god reason, I might add. With pebble everywhere, diamonds are hard to come by.

In light of that it was interesting to look at another Carne's work - "Jour se lève", or Daybreak.

It was made in 1939. or six years before the dreaded Children. Again, Arletty plays one of the roles in that film.

Admittedly, the Children made such good use out of one good actor - Jean-Louis Barrault - that everyone else hardly mattered. Shame, since his presence was all too limited, and the rest of the team was simply not up to that level.

Looking at Arletty in that film left one dumbfounded - how could half of the Nazi garrison fall for that woman, leading to some rather nasty circumstances after the liberation? Obviously old and tacidly unappealing, she looked like your slightly-younger-than-average grandma, but decidedly not like your kill-me-after-one-night-of-love super heroine.

There just HAD to be something that didn't come across in the Children, as again, half the Nazi garrison could not be dead wrong. Was it simply the few years of aging that covered her beauty, or was it the hypocritical persecution that left the mental scars that would show all too readily in every close-up shot?

You find part of the answer if you watch the Daybreak. There is striking difference between the two roles, well, between the two actresses, really. While there is some facial resemblance, the actress in the Daybreak is anything but wooden. She actually PLAYS her role, and does so so admirably well as to completely erase any dounbts remaining regarding her abilities after watching her pale work in the Children.

Daybreak is a fascinating film. Yes, its age does show in some spots, but also visible is the brilliance of the maker and the actors, something that is so sorely missing in most present day productions.

Carne is a master, make no mistake about it, and he also masterfully selected the crew.

Jean Gabin hardly needs any introduction, even though he is not exactly Harrison Ford, and his screen presence is simply the best there's ever been. He controls the viewer with the simple twitch of his lips, he grabs and never lets go. He is your fake lottery ticket, winning every time, even if the surrounded by less than stellar setting.

Here he doesn't have to struggle much, as he is put in the great seting from the getgo. Who could wish for a better supporting actor than Jules Berry?

But Arletty *trully* shines. She has the charisma that is irresistable in that secondary role. She plays... well, she simply plays like a great acress should. There is subtlety and piercing insight in her gentle non-intrusive acting that is so regrettably missing from most of today's "acting".

So if you are done watching every Mongolian film on your Blockbuster shelf, give this one a consideration. You still have time until Tom Cruise finishes his Mission #3...

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Schiit Audio

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