Best French Films of the 1940s

The Darkest Decade

Encouraged by Germany's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, French cinema flourished under the Nazi Occupation. The German-run company Continental-Films turned out many popular crowd-pleasers and quality productions, directed by such talented directors as André Cayatte and Henri-Georges Clouzot. Many filmmakers, such as Maurice Tourneur, were ready to incorporate pro-Pétainist sentiment in their films. Others, notably Marcel Carné, took advantage of the lax censorship to make films with a covert pro-resistance, anti-Nazi subtext. Immediately after the Liberation, France's film industry came to a standstill and was slow to revive in the years of austerity that followed. To offset the impact of a new law that obliged cinemas to screen more American films, the government made more money available to the industry through subsidies. By the end of the decade, commercial French cinema was in pretty good shape, although the auteur was conspicuous by his absence. For a more complete list consult our best films index and complete films index.

Volpone (1941)

Acting legends Louis Jouvet and Harry Baur surpass themselves in this sublime film version of Ben Jonson's play, possibly the finest example of a theatrical adaptation in French cinema.

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Romance de Paris (1941)

Image depicting the film Romance de Paris

Popular singer Charles Trenet gives an ebullient performance in this uplifting musical comedy, which matches the flair, if not the scale, of the Hollywood musical.

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Les Visiteurs du soir (1942)

Image depicting the film Les Visiteurs du soir

Symbols of French resistance abound in this haunting historical fantasy, made during the Nazi occupation. Jules Berry gives a remarkable performance as the Devil, managing to eclipse even Arletty.

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Le Comte de Monte Cristo (1943)

Image depicting the film Le Comte de Monte Cristo

Not the best-known film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' famous novel but arguably one of the finest. The moody atmosphere and intense performances make this a compelling work.

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Le Colonel Chabert (1943)

Image depicting the film Le Colonel Chabert

Raimu gives one of his towering performances in this atmospheric adaptation of Balzac's great novel, a subtle allegory for resistance during the Occupation.

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Goupi mains rouges (1943)

Image depicting the film Goupi mains rouges

This mix of black comedy and rural thriller established Jacques Becker as a director and features some wonderfully eccentric performances from actors such as Robert Le Vigan and Fernand Ledoux.

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Le Corbeau (1943)

This "black diamond" of the Nazi occupation is now regarded as one of the finest films made in France. Now seen as a brilliantly constructed suspense thriller, its shocking depiction of a morally corrupt society angered many when it was first released and it was soon banned.

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Douce (1943)

Autant-Lara's best film is this poignant upstairs-downstairs comedy-drama, a magnificent blend of romance, satire and dramatic irony, with some enchanting acting performances, most notably from Odette Joyeux.

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L'Éternel retour (1943)

Image depicting the film L'Eternel retour

History repeats itself, according to this updating of the classic Tristan and Isolda love story, written by Jean Cocteau. The beautifully melancholic cinematography and some extraordinary performances makes this a captivating and moving film.

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Le Ciel est à vous (1944)

Image depicting the film Le Ciel est a vous

This film, made and released during the darkest days of the Occupation, united the French nation with its stirring portrayal of individual heroism and determination to succeed. Even today, it has the power to overwhelm its audience with its raw humanity.

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Les Dames du bois de Boulogne (1945)

Image depicting the film Les Dames du bois de Boulogne

Bresson's early masterpiece is a disturbing tale of revenge and hatred, more conventional than the director's later films, but including many of his favourite themes. Maria Casarès gives a chilling performance as the spiteful villainess.

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Les Enfants du paradis (1945)

Image depicting the film Les Enfants du paradis

Often cited as the greatest of French films, this spectacular romantic epic, a guarded symbol of defiance against the German Occupation, is the crowning glory of the fruitful Carné-Prévert partnership.

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La Bataille du rail (1946)

Image depicting the film La Bataille du rail

This film, made directly after the Second World War, recounts the valiant contribution made by French railway workers to the French Resistance. It earned director René Clément instant fame and is regarded as one of the best war films ever made.

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La Belle et la bête (1946)

Image depicting the film La Belle et la bete

This masterpiece of fantasy realism, set in a surreal fairytale world which has itself become the stuff of legends, combines literary and visual poetry, making this one of the most distinctive and memorable of French film classics.

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Quai des Orfèvres (1947)

Image depicting the film Quai des Orfevres

Louis Jouvet brings a much-needed humanity to Clouzot's dark suspense thriller, which gives a rare insight into French music hall of the 1940s.

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Orphée (1949)

Cocteau's surreal re-telling of the famous Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydic is a visually stunning masterpiece, memorable for its bizarre representation of Hell and Maria Casarès in the role of the seductive ice princess.

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Le Sang des bêtes (1949)

Image depicting the film Le Sang des betes

This short documentary contrasts the normality of everyday life in Paris with the shocking brutality in slaughter houses. Franju's matter-of-fact approach is more disturbing than the material he films, as he lifts the veil to reveal something we would rather not wish to see.

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