"La Bete Humaine", also known as 'The Human Beast' or 'Judas Was a Woman', is the third Jean Renoir film I have had the privilege to watch, a couple years after 'The Grand Illusion' (1937, possibly his most celebrated work) and 'The Rules of the Game' (1939, probably my favorite of the bunch).
The 1930's was considered by many to be Renoir's most creative period. 'The Grand Illusion' was the poignant story of two officers of distinct social backgrounds captured during World War I, while 'The Rules of the Game' was a sharp analysis of the French bourgeoisie and their servants at a château during the onset of World War II (a premise that would inspire Robert Altman to craft his beautiful 'Gosford Park', sixty-two years later). 'La Bete Humaine', based on Emile Zola's novel of the same name, is a more intimate work; not an ensemble film, but a fascinating story of love and crime that preceded the classic film noir.
Jean Gabin, one of the greatest of all French actors, plays Jacques Lantier, a train engineer who falls for the deceitful Severine (Simone Simon), the young wife of Roubaud (Fernand Ledoux), his co-worker. As Roubaud finds out that Severine has had a long-term affair with her wealthy godfather, Grandmorin, they both plan to kill him on a train journey. An innocent passenger is convicted for the murder instead, while Lantier, the only witness to the crime, remains quiet. He begins an affair with Severine, who then tries to persuade him to kill Roubaud. Lantier, however, suffers from hereditary mental instability and unpredictable violent fits, especially when under the influence of alcohol, and things might just not go the way the femme fatale has planned.
The locomotive is one of the main characters in the film. It serves as Lantier's home, workplace, and only refuge, and also where his tragic bond with Severine begins. It's more than a visual prop and a metaphor to his state of mind/life, since it comes alive on the screen in a most unusual way - the splendid cinematography by Curt Courant only adds to it. The original novel (part of a large series by Zola, which includes 'Germinal', also adapted to the big screen) was supposed to take place in the late 1800's, but the film adaptation is a clear product of its time, and, just as Renoir's war-themed stories ('The Grand Illusion' and 'The Rules of the Game'), it represents and foreshadows a dark period for a nation's whole history and humanity (World War II was indeed about to begin).
At once, a great early film noir of sorts and a profound character study about human qualities, flaws and needs, 'La Bete Humaine' is a beautiful piece of work. Fritz Lang would remake the story as 'Human Desire' (1954), starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Broderick Crawford; a film I have yet to see. Still, I find it hard to believe it could surpass Renoir's vision - and I consider myself a Lang fan.
The 1930's was considered by many to be Renoir's most creative period. 'The Grand Illusion' was the poignant story of two officers of distinct social backgrounds captured during World War I, while 'The Rules of the Game' was a sharp analysis of the French bourgeoisie and their servants at a château during the onset of World War II (a premise that would inspire Robert Altman to craft his beautiful 'Gosford Park', sixty-two years later). 'La Bete Humaine', based on Emile Zola's novel of the same name, is a more intimate work; not an ensemble film, but a fascinating story of love and crime that preceded the classic film noir.
Jean Gabin, one of the greatest of all French actors, plays Jacques Lantier, a train engineer who falls for the deceitful Severine (Simone Simon), the young wife of Roubaud (Fernand Ledoux), his co-worker. As Roubaud finds out that Severine has had a long-term affair with her wealthy godfather, Grandmorin, they both plan to kill him on a train journey. An innocent passenger is convicted for the murder instead, while Lantier, the only witness to the crime, remains quiet. He begins an affair with Severine, who then tries to persuade him to kill Roubaud. Lantier, however, suffers from hereditary mental instability and unpredictable violent fits, especially when under the influence of alcohol, and things might just not go the way the femme fatale has planned.
The locomotive is one of the main characters in the film. It serves as Lantier's home, workplace, and only refuge, and also where his tragic bond with Severine begins. It's more than a visual prop and a metaphor to his state of mind/life, since it comes alive on the screen in a most unusual way - the splendid cinematography by Curt Courant only adds to it. The original novel (part of a large series by Zola, which includes 'Germinal', also adapted to the big screen) was supposed to take place in the late 1800's, but the film adaptation is a clear product of its time, and, just as Renoir's war-themed stories ('The Grand Illusion' and 'The Rules of the Game'), it represents and foreshadows a dark period for a nation's whole history and humanity (World War II was indeed about to begin).
At once, a great early film noir of sorts and a profound character study about human qualities, flaws and needs, 'La Bete Humaine' is a beautiful piece of work. Fritz Lang would remake the story as 'Human Desire' (1954), starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Broderick Crawford; a film I have yet to see. Still, I find it hard to believe it could surpass Renoir's vision - and I consider myself a Lang fan.