Synopsis:
Etzel, the son of prosecutor Wolf Andergast, discovers that eight years ago his father condemned Léonard Maurizius to a life sentence in prison for the murder of his wife Elisabeth. The case made Andergast famous but Etzel knows that Maurizius’s conviction depended on the dubious testimony of a witness named Grégoire Waremme. Determined to find out the truth, Etzel tracks Waremme down to Zurich and discovers that the evidence he gave at the trial was not the whole truth…Read More »
Madeleine Robinson
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Julien Duvivier – L’affaire Maurizius AKA On Trial (1954)
1951-1960DramaFranceJulien Duvivier -
Jean Grémillon – Lumière d’été (1943)
1941-1950DramaFranceJean GrémillonA shimmering glass hotel at the top of a remote Provençal mountain provides the setting for a tragicomic tapestry about an obsessive love pentangle, whose principals range from an artist to a hotel manager to a dam worker. Scripted by Jacques Prévert and Pierre Laroche, the film was banned from theaters for the duration of the occupation for its dark portrayal of the hedonistic excesses of the ruling class. Today, it is often singled out as Jean Grémillon’s greatest achievement. Written by AnonymousRead More »
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Jean Delannoy – Le garçon sauvage AKA Savage Triangle (1951)
1951-1960CrimeDramaFranceJean DelannoyQuote:
A prostitute is going up the mountain.Up there,lives her son she left to a shepherd to take care of him.These first minutes are perhaps the best:the mother brings toys to her child but he cannot play,”playing” is a thing he’s never done;she did not intend to bring him back with her,but after a night in the same bed ,she understands she cannot live without him.So she takes him down to Marseille.
Marseille is the city the place where evil dwells .It’s interesting to notice that the mountains (beginning) and the sea (ending)are providential,they represent purity and honesty.Read More » -
Maurice de Canonge – Grisou AKA Les hommes sans soleil (1938)
1931-1940DramaFranceMaurice de CanongeSynopsis:
Femme fatale Madeleine Robinson is married to Raymond Aimos, a coal miner with a face like a pickled walnut and a libido to match. She wants some action, and what she can’t get from her impotent husband, she looks for elsewhere, first with his best friend Pierre Brasseur, then with his boss Lucien Gallas, who is also dating Brasseur’s kid sister Odette Joyeux.Read More » -
Jean-Gabriel Albicocco – Le Coeur Fou AKA The Mad Heart (1970)
1961-1970CrimeCultFranceJean-Gabriel AlbicoccoSynopsis
Georges Menessier, a 45-year-old celebrity press writer, smuggles into a mental hospital to take pictures of…his ex-wife Clara Noël, once a great film star now confined to this clinic for alcoholism and nervous trouble. Once inside the place he meets Clo, a beautiful twenty-year-old woman, another inmate. They fall in love but madness is synonymous with tragedy not happiness…Read More » -
Bruno Nuytten – Camille Claudel (1988)
1981-1990Bruno NuyttenDramaFranceSynopsis:
The troubled life of French sculptor Camille Claudel and her long relationship with legendary sculptor Auguste Rodin are portrayed in this passionate biographical drama, featuring an acclaimed performance by Isabelle Adjani. Beginning in the 1880s with a young Claudel’s first meeting with Rodin, the film traces the development of their intense romantic bond. The growth of this relationship coincides with the rise of Claudel’s career, helping her overcome prejudices against female artists. However, their romance soon sours, due to the increasing pressures of Rodin’s fame and his love for another woman. These difficulties combine with her increasing doubts about the value of her work to drive Claudel into an emotional tumult that threatens to become insanity.Read More » -
Gilles Grangier – Le gentleman d’Epsom AKA The Gentleman from Epsom (1962)
1961-1970ComedyCrimeFranceGilles GrangierSynopsis:
‘Retired military officer Richard Briand-Charmery, known to all as “The Commandant”, gambles every centime he has on horse racing bets. When his luck is down, he supplies his friends with false betting tips, knowing that the friend whose bet comes off will give him a fraction of the winnings. One day, Richard meets up with an old flame, Maud, and passes an evening with her at his expense. To pay the bill for the evening’s extravagance, the Commandant tries his scam on a naive restaurateur, Ripeux…’
– Films de FranceRead More » -
Christian-Jaque – Sortilèges AKA The Bellman (1945)
1941-1950Christian-JaqueDramaFranceMysterySynopsis:
‘A bellman – that is, a man whose job it is to help lost travelers in the Alps find their way from the ringing of a bell – kills a traveler for his money and splits the proceeds with companion. However, complications follow…’
– Dave SindelarRead More » -
Yves Allégret – Une si jolie petite plage AKA Riptide (1949)
Drama1941-1950FranceMysteryYves AllégretSynopsis:
‘One rainy night, a stranger arrives in a nondescript seaside town and checks into a cheap hotel. All that is known about him is his name – Pierre – and everyone he meets is suspicious of him. He appears to know the area well; he seems to be in good health. But why is he here? Why is he so sad?’
– French Film SiteRead More »
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