Friday 21 August 2015

The Duvivier Dossier (7) - Ken Wallin's best and wanna see lists

Sydney cinephile Ken Wallin has sent in these thoughts about Duvivier's career.

There's a lot to admire in Duvivier's work. Pepe le Moko (1937) and Un Carnet de Bal (1937) are justly celebrated, but I'll confine the favourites to 

Dita Parlo, star of Au Bonheur des Dames
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           Au Bonheaur des Dames (1930), the only silent of his I've seen and evidence of his visual command Poil de Carrotte (1932) (sound version), very moving and Harry Baur at his best 
.         La Belle Equipe (1936),Duvivier intersecting with Renoir with presence of the Popular Front and the river
           Panique (1946), more noir and from Simenon.
.         Voici le Temps des Assassins.(1956), noir brilliance and Gabin at his best!

I can't resist adding a sixth,  to slip in one of his English language films,  Tales of Manhattan (1942) (but I must confess a weakness for The Great Waltz (1938!) 

The Duvivier titles I'd want to track down are:
Poile de Carrotte (1925 silent version)
Pot Bouille (1957) with Gerard Philipe, Danielle Darrieux, and Anouk Aimee in it!
La Tete d'un Homme.(1933) Harry Baur as Maigret to compare with Renoir's La Nuit du Carrefour 
Sous le Ciel de Paris (1951) 
The Imposter (1944)
Black Jack (1950)
.....and it may be terrible but Golgotha (1935) with Gabin cast as Pontius Pilate has me curious 

By the way, the oddest Duvivier film I've seen is his 30s version of The Golem (1936). Stick with the silent versions!

cheers

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