Compartiment de dames seules is a sublime example
of the kind of vaudeville farce that became prevalent in French cinema after the arrival
of sound... [More...]
The most famous, and probably the best, of the six comic films which Fernandel made with
the director Christian-Jaque, François Premier is of interest today mainly for
its ruthless parodying of the starchy historic... [More...]
Les Perles de la couronne was the first of Sacha Guitry’s lavish episodic historical
dramas, made nearly two decades before his similar major works Napoléon
(1955) and Si
Versailles m’était... [More...]
Les Disparus de Saint-Agil is classic of French cinema, an atmospheric comedy thriller
with dark elements of fantasy and mysticism, which is regarded as one of director Christian-Jaque’s
best works... [More...]
A stylish melange of fairy tale, romance, melodrama and suspense thriller, L’Assassinat
du Père Noël is typical of French cinema of the early 1940s... [More...]
One of the most surprising French films to have been made in the late
1930s is this grim social realist drama which is years ahead of its
time in its uncompromising portrayal of child abuse and juvenile
delinquency... [More...]
Christian-Jaque directed this grand but somewhat anaemic historical bio-pic, made for
the Germany-run company Continental at the time of the Occupation... [More...]
Based on two of Guy de Maupassant’s short stories, Boule de suif was one of the
first films to be made in France after the Liberation in 1944... [More...]
Despite being overlooked these days, Un Revenant is one of director Christian-Jacque’s
finest films, with some impressive photography, good acting performances and well-conceived
scenario... [More...]
Christian-Jaque’s account of the life of Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, is a
masterful composition, meriting a place amongst the director’s best works and a must-see
film for anyone interested in... [More...]
One of the most popular historical-adventure films made in France, Fanfan la Tulipe
is a hugely entertaining melange of swash-buckling adventure, comedy and romance... [More...]
This sumptuous Franco-Italian blockbuster production exemplifies
historical film dramas of the 1950s – beautifully shot in Technicolor
and showing a meticulous attention to detail in its lavish costume and
set... [More...]
