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Best
French Films of the
1940s
Maurice
Tourneur (1941) |
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Jean
Boyer (1941) |
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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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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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Marcel
Carné (1942) |
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Robert
Vernay (1942) |
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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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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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René Le Hénaff (1943) |
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Jacques Becker (1943) |
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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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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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Henri-Georges Clouzot (1943) |
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Claude Autant-Lara (1943) |
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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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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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Jean Delannoy (1943) |
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Jean Grémillon (1944) |
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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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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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Robert Bresson (1945) |
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Marcel Carné (1945) |
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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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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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René Clément
(1946) |
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Jean Cocteau (1946) |
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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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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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This atmospheric drama features Louis Jouvet in one of his most memorable
film roles, a stirring portrayal of a man who returns to confront his past,
with grim consequences.
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This tense wartime thriller made straight after WWII broaches some serious themes,
notably that, when your country is in the hands of an occupying power, no one is
quite what they seem...
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Jean Delannoy (1946) |
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Henri-Georges Clouzot (1947) |
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Michèle
Morgan brings an intense tragic poignancy to this film, which won her instant
recognition. This, combined with Jean Delannoy's austere cinematography,
makes this a captivating and moving drama.
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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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Jean Cocteau (1949) |
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Le
Sang des bêtes
Georges Franju (1949) |
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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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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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See also:
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