planktonrules Review of Pépé le Moko

Pépé le Moko (1937)

Gabin was excellent but the plot had a few too many clichés

[7/10 · 31 October 2006]

This was a very stylish film that I did enjoy, but not nearly as much as I thought. While considered a classic, Gabin's excellent performance and the movie's overall style was not enough to help it overcome one glaring cliché. You see, Pepe Le Moko is supposed to be the coolest and smartest thief in the Casbah, but time and again late in the film he just acts stupidly. Think about it--Le Moko has successfully avoided capture for years and is just too cool for words BUT in this film, he falls hard for a woman he barely even knows--leading to his ultimate downfall. You know, the silly old "love at first sight" cliché that they use in films when they want a quick and cheap plot device. Also, while the ending is really neat to watch, killing yourself that easily and quickly with a small pocket knife is ridiculous and ill-conceived. Without these, the film might have merited an 8 or 9. As it is, the film just seems like a great example of a film that ALMOST hits its mark. Still, the film is overall a bit better than its American remake, ALGIERS.