When you think of film noir, your thoughts are most likely to be around American movies. Moreover, if you are more knowledgeable of old cinema and you hear of the Casbah criminal, it most probably makes you think of ALGIERS (1938) with Charles Boyer. But...it appears that a true classic concerning the theme had been a bit earlier. PEPE LE MOKO from 1937: a French film noir made before WWII, directed by one of the greatest directors of the time, Julien Duvivier, with such talented cast like Jean Gabin, Mireille Balin, Gilbert Gil and Lucas Gridoux. The film was quite popular in Europe before WWII but later, a lot of people simply forgot it. However, nowadays, surprising as it may seem, PEPE LE MOKO is a pure rarity, a very interesting work that memorably combines action, charm, great performances, marvelous shots and unforgettable scenes. Yes, PEPE LE MOKO has become even more powerful after these 7 decades when film noir fails to reflect its most precious aspects, like good action, thrill and content.
Jean Gabin is excellent in the lead. He portrays the most wanted gangster, a charming thief hiding in the maze like section of Algiers, the Casbah, where everybody look for him but nobody can capture him. It is Pepe Le Moko on whose funeral there would be three thousand widows lamenting but who, at last, finds the love of his life. That love, however, can never be fulfilled... Jean depicts this man extremely well. I think that he was really a great actor and I will look for his other movies. Considering other performances, Milleine Balin is very convincing as lustful exotic Gaby worn in jewels, a beauty as if from a thousand and one nights who reminds Pepe of the Parisian underground. Lucas Gridoux as Inspector Slimane also does a fine job showing his character's indefatigable desire to capture Pepe and ways of investigation galore.
Action is another flawless aspect of the movie. It is managed so well and so flexibly that the viewer never gets bored. All the time, something is happening and captivates a person who has at last decided to see this film. It is, perhaps, unusual for such old movies to keep viewer's attention, but indeed accurate to say it about Duvivier's film - action of PEPE LE MOKO has already stood a test of time with marvelous results.
Memorable moments are something much to talk about. First, I will never forget the presentation of the Casbah - narrow streets of peculiar names, maze like group of buildings, different nationalities, various girls of various size... Authentic locations of Algiers section provides this moment (as well as most part of the movie) with exceptional atmosphere. Another key moment is close the end when an elderly lady Tania (Frehel), aiming to improve her mood, puts on a song on a gramophone, a song she once used to sing on stage, and starts to sing along with her recorded voice. The voice is the same, after all these years, but, this time, her eyes are full of tears... Finally, the third brilliant moment is when Pepe talks to Gaby about Paris - a wonderful moment of cinematography, lightning lingering on their nostalgic faces as they enumerate the places of Paris. Here, great thanks to Marc Fossard! And this technical aspect is something I'd like to discuss in more details (if you don't mind such a long review).
Whenever I consider such old films, I usually focus on camera movement. Memorably invented by F.W.Murnau in his masterpiece THE LAST LAUGH (1924), it was the most creative aspect of most movies from the late 1920s and the 1930s. PEPE LE MOKO can boast a true masterwork in this case. Camera lingers on important aspects of the scenes and, consequently, while watching the movie, you really know what it's going at. Everything is strictly planned, patterned (paradoxically many films have primarily forgotten about it nowadays). Consider, for instance, a brilliant technical moment when Pepe leaves the Casbah: this unforgettable focus on his footsteps, then his face, his head and the changing background from the streets to the sea.
PEPE LE MOKO is a very fine movie that should not be forgotten, a classic of film noir with great cast and an amazing exemplification of good technical job. Well worth seeking out! 9/10
Jean Gabin is excellent in the lead. He portrays the most wanted gangster, a charming thief hiding in the maze like section of Algiers, the Casbah, where everybody look for him but nobody can capture him. It is Pepe Le Moko on whose funeral there would be three thousand widows lamenting but who, at last, finds the love of his life. That love, however, can never be fulfilled... Jean depicts this man extremely well. I think that he was really a great actor and I will look for his other movies. Considering other performances, Milleine Balin is very convincing as lustful exotic Gaby worn in jewels, a beauty as if from a thousand and one nights who reminds Pepe of the Parisian underground. Lucas Gridoux as Inspector Slimane also does a fine job showing his character's indefatigable desire to capture Pepe and ways of investigation galore.
Action is another flawless aspect of the movie. It is managed so well and so flexibly that the viewer never gets bored. All the time, something is happening and captivates a person who has at last decided to see this film. It is, perhaps, unusual for such old movies to keep viewer's attention, but indeed accurate to say it about Duvivier's film - action of PEPE LE MOKO has already stood a test of time with marvelous results.
Memorable moments are something much to talk about. First, I will never forget the presentation of the Casbah - narrow streets of peculiar names, maze like group of buildings, different nationalities, various girls of various size... Authentic locations of Algiers section provides this moment (as well as most part of the movie) with exceptional atmosphere. Another key moment is close the end when an elderly lady Tania (Frehel), aiming to improve her mood, puts on a song on a gramophone, a song she once used to sing on stage, and starts to sing along with her recorded voice. The voice is the same, after all these years, but, this time, her eyes are full of tears... Finally, the third brilliant moment is when Pepe talks to Gaby about Paris - a wonderful moment of cinematography, lightning lingering on their nostalgic faces as they enumerate the places of Paris. Here, great thanks to Marc Fossard! And this technical aspect is something I'd like to discuss in more details (if you don't mind such a long review).
Whenever I consider such old films, I usually focus on camera movement. Memorably invented by F.W.Murnau in his masterpiece THE LAST LAUGH (1924), it was the most creative aspect of most movies from the late 1920s and the 1930s. PEPE LE MOKO can boast a true masterwork in this case. Camera lingers on important aspects of the scenes and, consequently, while watching the movie, you really know what it's going at. Everything is strictly planned, patterned (paradoxically many films have primarily forgotten about it nowadays). Consider, for instance, a brilliant technical moment when Pepe leaves the Casbah: this unforgettable focus on his footsteps, then his face, his head and the changing background from the streets to the sea.
PEPE LE MOKO is a very fine movie that should not be forgotten, a classic of film noir with great cast and an amazing exemplification of good technical job. Well worth seeking out! 9/10