Starring: Jean-Louis Barrault, Arletty, Pierre Brasseur
Director: Marcel Carne
Rating: G
I beautiful ode to bittersweet love, both unrequited and missed out on. Four men are in love with the same beautiful, aloof woman. One is a thief and murderer, one a vain actor, one a soulful pantomime, and one a rich duke. This a backstage story (I've been watching a lot of movies focused on the workings of the theater), with the chaos of theater going on around it. Garance is the lovely woman who graces many men with her favors, but finds out too late that she was only really happy with Baptiste, the artistic pantomime who missed out on his original opportunity to be with her when he demanded she lover him like her loved her. Garance isn't made that way though, at least at the time, and when Baptiste holds out for her declaration of love, she moves on to the vain, but gracious Frederick. When her former lover Pierre, the thief, pins her for a crime, she turns to the duke who had made an offer for her for protection. He too can't claim her love, as she is still in love with Baptiste. Baptiste and Garance are separated, her with the duke and him with a wife (the sad and pathetically devoted Nathalie) and child. They are united briefly to the predictably bittersweet end.
Oh glory...French mimes. My personal hell.
Barrault, who plays Baptiste, is the standout actor. He is graceful and soulful and actually made me not hold being a mime against him. This is someone who knows how to ACT, no matter the venue. Brasseur, who plays Frederick, also makes him a likable cad. Especially because he graciously acknowledges that he is no match for Baptiste when it comes to Garance. My biggest problem with the movie is the actresses, not because they can't act, but because they look too old, especially Arletty. She is perfect in her sweet aloofness, but obviously in her late bloom, which doesn't match up to what we're led to believe about the character.
A matador and a statue discuss their love life
The movie is long, but I never got tired of it. The characters are charming and you feel for them, since this is the best expression of unrequited love I've ever seen on film. Everyone has cared about someone who didn't care about them in the same way, which makes characters like the deluded and devoted Nathalie heartbreaking because she's willing to do anything for Baptiste, but will never truly have his heart. Her realization that he's always imagining Garance in her place is deeply sad. You don't blame the others though, you just feel bad for their not true unhappiness, but unfulfillment.
9 out of 10 because this movie is beautiful and truly touching
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