Entering a poll on ICM for the best films of 1940,I took a look at the French titles from that year,and found one from famous Silent movie auteur Abel Gance. Whilst Gance's epic Napoléon has come out on DVD/Blu-Ray,I was disappointed to find little sign of his "talkies." Nearing 1,500 reviews, I decided to take another look,and happily found the movie with Eng Subs!,which led to me walking up the four flights.
The plot:
At a dance party, struggling artist Pierre Leblanc exchanges dance moves with assistant dress designer Janine Mercier. Visiting Leblanc the next day in his flat,Mercier is met by a portrait Leblanc has painted of her. Falling deeply in love with each other, Leblanc's artistic eye leads to him trimming Mercier's clothes of "needless" material. Receiving applause from Mercier's fashion house, Leblanc is invited to redesign all their clothes. As they settle down and start bringing money in from the fashion house, Leblanc and Mercier hear the sound of World War I on the horizon.
View on the film:
Allowing the viewer to dress the beginnings of Leblanc and Mercier's relationship up, co-writer/(with Steve Passeur and Joseph Than) director Abel Gance & cinematographer Christian Matras give the early stages a comedic Melodrama mood, with a soft focus on the alluring new clothes, over lapping images of the couple on nights out and glittering bright lights capturing the care-free love between them. Well aware of the WWI horrors, Gance unleashes a siren warning call to a new "Great War"getting nearer, with the light in the Leblanc's marriage replaced with rich depth of field darkness,by Gance turning the Melodrama a black charcoal etched on the faces of the survivors.
Putting the dancing shoes of Mercier and Leblanc on,the writers give the early stage of the romance a sparkling mood, pouring from Leblanc's comedic, abrupt manner at becoming a fashion designer, and the playful, romantic exchanges Leblanc and Mercier share. Turning all that is sweet into dust, the writers brilliantly use the lightness of the early stages to heighten the Melodrama devastation, with a shocking tragedy leading the Leblanc's in misery,which they are only freed from in the poetic final.
Changing Leblanc across the decades, Fernand Gravey gives an incredible performance as Leblanc,that takes him from a dashing heartthrob to a torn man,with heavy tragedies crushing his shoulders. Playing not one, but two members of the Leblanc family, the elegant Micheline Presle gives an absolutely captivating performances as Mercier and Jeannette Leblanc,with Presle giving Mercier a thoughtful, timid manner,which is counted by the more free-spirited nature shown by Jeannette,as the Leblanc's go up the four flights of love.
The plot:
At a dance party, struggling artist Pierre Leblanc exchanges dance moves with assistant dress designer Janine Mercier. Visiting Leblanc the next day in his flat,Mercier is met by a portrait Leblanc has painted of her. Falling deeply in love with each other, Leblanc's artistic eye leads to him trimming Mercier's clothes of "needless" material. Receiving applause from Mercier's fashion house, Leblanc is invited to redesign all their clothes. As they settle down and start bringing money in from the fashion house, Leblanc and Mercier hear the sound of World War I on the horizon.
View on the film:
Allowing the viewer to dress the beginnings of Leblanc and Mercier's relationship up, co-writer/(with Steve Passeur and Joseph Than) director Abel Gance & cinematographer Christian Matras give the early stages a comedic Melodrama mood, with a soft focus on the alluring new clothes, over lapping images of the couple on nights out and glittering bright lights capturing the care-free love between them. Well aware of the WWI horrors, Gance unleashes a siren warning call to a new "Great War"getting nearer, with the light in the Leblanc's marriage replaced with rich depth of field darkness,by Gance turning the Melodrama a black charcoal etched on the faces of the survivors.
Putting the dancing shoes of Mercier and Leblanc on,the writers give the early stage of the romance a sparkling mood, pouring from Leblanc's comedic, abrupt manner at becoming a fashion designer, and the playful, romantic exchanges Leblanc and Mercier share. Turning all that is sweet into dust, the writers brilliantly use the lightness of the early stages to heighten the Melodrama devastation, with a shocking tragedy leading the Leblanc's in misery,which they are only freed from in the poetic final.
Changing Leblanc across the decades, Fernand Gravey gives an incredible performance as Leblanc,that takes him from a dashing heartthrob to a torn man,with heavy tragedies crushing his shoulders. Playing not one, but two members of the Leblanc family, the elegant Micheline Presle gives an absolutely captivating performances as Mercier and Jeannette Leblanc,with Presle giving Mercier a thoughtful, timid manner,which is counted by the more free-spirited nature shown by Jeannette,as the Leblanc's go up the four flights of love.