Classic French Films
La Ronde 1950 Directed by Max Ophluls, based on Arthur Schnitzler’s play. Cast with many of the best French actors of the era including, in part, Simone Signoret, Simone Simon, Danielle Darrieux, Jean-Louis Barrault, Gerard Philipe. Ten brief tales embodying “the waltz of love,” bridged by a single participant of each going on to the next episode. Stylized and charming. Amazon Prime and Netflix
The Earrings of Madame De… Directed by Max Ophuls, adapted from Louise Leveque de Vilmorin’s novel. Belle Epoque Paris. Beautiful, aristocratic, spoiled Louise/Madame D (Danielle Darrieux) is married to André (Charles Boyer). The couple maintains separate bedrooms. He has a mistress. To cover overspending, Louise sells a pair of diamond earrings gifted by her husband.
We follow the earrings as they pass from Louise back to the jeweler, back to Andre who gives them to his mistress, who sells them back to the jeweler. They’re purchased by Italian baron, Fabrizio Donati (Vittorio de Sica) who, pursuing Louise, innocently gives them to her, whereupon Andre sees and objects. A duel ensues. A lavish look at very different social codes. Amazon Prime and Netflix
Film buffs should get a hold of Jean Renoir’s 1955 film, French Cancan with Jean Gabin and Francoise Arnoul; the most painterly, celebratory, and accurate portrait of the café-music hall and its era. (The Cole Porter musical has ONLY the dance in common.) Available on Blu-Ray.
Films Based on Novels by Marcel Pagnol
Jean de Florette and Manon of The Spring Based on the Marcel Pagnol novels, directed by Claude Berri. The successive stories were, in fact, shot successively in Provence. With Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, and Yves Montand, in one of his last roles. Ugolin Soubeyran and his critical uncle César come together to trick a neighbor out of property that seems dry, but, in fact, has a hidden spring. When he’s accidentally killed, the plotters think things are solved, but two inheritors follow.
Pretending to be friendly and sympathetic, Ugolin and César undermine farming efforts and denigrate newcomer’s reputation, then decide to block the source of water. The unaware village suffers.
In the second film, Ugolin becomes obsessed with Manon (Emmanuelle Beart), daughter of the man they indirectly killed. One day, she accidentally finds the plugged stream. Because the village kept silent about her father, Manon at first hesitates sharing the news. Rejecting her neighbor evokes more tragedy. Beautifully acted, beautifully shot. Moving. Not histrionic. Both Amazon Prime.
Fanny 1961 Directed by Joshua Logan. The early 1920s. Fanny (Leslie Caron) and Marius (Horst Bucholtz) have been in love since they were children. With her mother, she sells fish at the seaside market. He works at his father, César’s (Charles Boyer), bar. Fanny dreams of marrying her love and having children. Marius’s fantasies center on sailing the sea, seeing the world. Much older, wealthy merchant, Panisse (Maurice Chevalier) proposes to the girl offering security. She turns him down.
Unable to staunch his wanderlust, Marius signs on to a ship. Fanny says she’ll wait, but he tells her not to do so. They spend his last night together. Two months later, she discovers she’s pregnant and marries kindly Panisse who dotes on the child he knows isn’t his.
Eventually, Marius has leave. He comes back, sees little Césario, and asks Fanny and his son to come with him. Panisse responds that she may go, but the child must stay knowing she won’t abandon him. Ten years later, Marius returns. Panisse is dying. With his encouragement, things work out. Epilogue: Young Césario looks moodily out to sea. A lovely, understated film. Amazon Prime
Serious film buffs should track down the original versions of Marcel Pagnol’s trilogy: Marius (1929) and Fanny (1932), plays which he adapted to film; and César, the film he wrote and directed for the screen in 1936.
My Father’s Glory and My Mother’s Castle, based on Pagnol’s childhood, are lovely, warm- bath-like-coming-of-age films by Yves Robert. Alas, neither is available to rent.
Top photo: Bigstock
