Le Jour se lève

Not quite as strong as Carne's or Gabin's best during this period, but it hits the spot in its own way.

Pauline Kael: "Perhaps the finest of the French poetic melodramas, it's a definitive example of sensuous, atmospheric moviemaking - you feel that you're breathing the air that Gabin breathes." The film belongs to the great Jean Gabin, and he carries it seemingly effortlessly.

Não lembro de outro filme que fizesse uso de flashback de maneira tão plena quanto esse, além da perspicácia de travestir um filme de romances trágicos numa ode sobre intempéries dos trabalhadores. Plus: Jean Gabin dos anos 30. Gabin dos anos 30 será eternamente meu sonho de consumo. Box Versátil O Cinema de Marcel Carné.

85.00

I gotta agree with Criticker user Icarus in saying this felt like noir. While technically not a noir, I think it could be counted among the predecessors. Whatever it is, it's damn tasty stuff.

I suppose the best compliment I can give this is that it feels like a noir made in the late 40s or early 50s--it's way ahead of its time. And Gabin is his typically powerful self.

Jean Gabin and Jules Berry are phenomenal playing disparate love rivals, but there's an ungainly dissonance between the two components of the narrative, with all of the best scenes and dialogue coming in the three extended flashbacks, which are uniformly excellent; the scenes in the film's present are noticeably less authentic, and culminate in a dry, disenchanting finale.

This is historically notable to me for two reasons: this is earliest film I've seen whose narrative primarily relies on flashbacks, and the earliest film portrayal of a consensually open relationship. The gradual build-up of the plot and exploration of the various relationships between the characters was done really well, even if the Murder itself seemed anticlimactic and undeserved.

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

Excellent Jean Gabin as a killer recollecting what occurred on that fatal night. Such gloomy atmosphere all-round. Marcel Carné could really stage his dangerous drama! Only thing missing was a touching story leading up to the tragedy. Instead we get a fairly distorted romance affair involving Gabin, two ladies and the sneaky Jules Berry, which in all honesty doesn't merit any killing. Gabin is still fantastic as the doomed man gone mad and the handy work with the rest of the film is marvelous!

#550

With Prévert writing about a love triangle, Carné directing, and Gabin and Arletty in leading roles, this is quintessential poetic realism. All the magic is here, but it is like a skimpier sketch for Children of Paradise.

It is very typical poetic realism stuff, but Gabin and the final shot (along with many others) are just so amazing. I may have to re-visit this.

551

Although I wouldn't say this was a bad film by any measure, I don't see what the fuss is about. The cinematography is quite nice, but the story is mundane, and the characters are uninteresting. When they're not being uninteresting, they're acting in ways that make little sense to me. I usually enjoy Jean Gabin, but I found his performance here to be subpar. I never cared much for Carne anyway, but at least Drole de drame is funny. This one just didn't do a damn thing for me.

568

Incredibly bleak, but at the same time filled with a sore warmth, shining through in moments of poetic and lyrical beauty.

It's strange, I still have a lot of fondness for this film, but I can't remember any of the plot. It did strike me though.

# 518

Simple and effective. Whatever you want to classify it as, poetic realism or pre-noir, this is up there as one of the stronger entries.

Like with Port of Shadows, Carne does an excellent job creating a dark mood surrounding the film. It works perfectly both from a story perspective and in terms of what the movie has to say about the dark side of people. Gabin is top notch as usual, and the rest of the cast is very good as well.