Tag: Jacques Becker

Le Trou

Posted on by victorfraga

To many critics and audiences alike, a director’s continual legacy in the filmic canon rests upon their final film. Kubrick went out on Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Hitchcock on Family Plot (1976), and Billy Wilder on Buddy Buddy (1981). Simply from this random selection of great directors’ last films, it’s quick for one to see the varying degrees of quality which a filmmaker associated towards greatness can go out on. In the case of Jacques Becker, Le Trou is a complex statement on man’s continual stride to be free from oppression. Based on a true Parisian prison breakout, Studiocanal’s remastered Blu-ray, along with many more of Becker’s work, symbolises his position as a definitive voice in cinema.

Opening with Roland Darban (Jean Keraudy) breaking the fourth wall and notifying the viewer retrospectively on an elaborate prison breakout in 1947, Becker treats the audience with respect and does not over elaborate on plot; this is a film simply about five men trying to find freedom and its repercussions. No backstory is required on any of the men’s charges, they are criminals to us with that all that mattering.

Swiftly cutting to the cell in 1947, Darban’s initial position as the lead protagonist is swiftly removed by the introduction of Claude Gaspard (Marc Michel) into the cell. A binary to all the macho men, including Darban, Gaspard’s is a shady character whose motivations for escaping are constantly unclear. Yet, he is welcomed into the plot to escape by all, which includes digging up a tunnel (the film title is French for “hole”). From the opening scenes onwards there is an abundant lack of music. Admittedly, not a negative statement, its use is replaced by diegetic sounds diegetic. Constant bangs and footsteps are omnipresent all scenes, helping to interpolate the audience into the claustrophobic space.

Within this cell, Ghislain Cloquet’s camera uses close-ups in order to create bonds between the group. Alongside such two pivotal elements as sight and sound, the use of a persistent presence in digging equipment et al through mise-en-scene accentuates to perilous task these men face in tunnelling their escape. Holding the frame as Keraudy’s huge arms slam a metal bar to the ground, Becker isn’t afraid to let his scenes unfold naturally. This applies throughout Le Trou, with such stillness capturing the palpable moment of men digging for their lives.

A standout use of mise-en-scene craft is the men’s looking glass, used to observe guards movements in the corridor. A toothbrush with a piece of glass attached at the end is not only a prisoner necessity but surprisingly becomes a vehicle for nuanced cinematography. Becker and Cloquet’s utilises it as a cinematic POV tool. Watching the film, I repeatedly questioned how the director and his team achieved these shots – the sign of a masterful piece.

As the men dig deeper and deeper, their situation in the cell becomes more volatile, with the tension of being suspected or found escaping real. Every innovative trick in the trade is used by the crew to conceal their plans to escape. Such an ambiance of tension is enlarged by a conversation between the prison director and Gaspard in the final act.

Melville has been quoted as praising Le Trou ‘’as the greatest French film of all time.’’ Though I am hesitant to state the same as Melville, its shades of moral ambiguity, inspection of man’s physical power, and themes of brotherly betrayal construct a highly philosophical piece. Going out with a bang, as they say, Becker’s cinematic legacy will be eternally embodied in his last work, Le Trou. Watching the bad guys and their tricks has never been as much fun.

Le Trou is now out on DVD, BD and EST, along with three more restored titles from Jacques Becker.

Edward and Caroline (Édouard et Caroline)

Posted on by victorfraga

An amusing comedy portraying an adventurous day in the life of a French couple, this is the most simple way of summing up Edward and Caroline. Edward Mortier (Daniel Gélin) is a working-class, man, a talented pianist and a bohemian artist. He lives with his wife, Caroline Mortier (Anne Vernon), a dynamic woman who comes from a bourgeois family. The upheavals begin when the couple is invited to a luxury, posh party that Caroline’s uncle is organising in his mansion. The couple’s attire is the most crucial issue that they need to deal with before appearing in front of Caroline’s uncle’s bourgeois friends.

Edward’s passion for the piano and his mastery is a constant element within the film. Classical music accompanies various parts of the film. The first scene we see is of Edward displaying his virtuoso techniques in piano. Although he comes from a working class, bohemian background, he apparently has a quite high-class, classical education: Chopin and Brahms are among his repertoire.

The couple resembles gender stereotypes of classical mainstream Hollywood cinema: the male is sophisticated and educated (with his huge dictionaries in the bookcase), while the female lacks of such a culture and enlightenment. In the opening scene, Becker and his gentle camera take us from the talented pianist to the housewife cleaning the bathroom. However, Becker has definitely given to his female protagonist a more active and dominant role: she is a dynamic and independent woman with her own will and ability to get things done. She even doesn’t hesitate to ask for a divorce when her husband slaps her.

The party of the well-off uncle has various surreal moments, while it is also a display of wealth and authority. The performances, especially of the women, seem quite theatrical and melodramatic, as they try to draw attention and dominate in the space. Becker accurately portrays the cultural gap between the two classes. Modesty and simplicity are definitely not among the characteristics of the bourgeoisie. Classical music would traditionally connote to upper class. However, in this case, the one who possesses this ‘elite’ education and knowledge is first of all. Despite recognising the music he is playing, some of the guests quickly get bored and the classical piano, and instead get excited by a jolly rumba-like tune.

The only character who seems to differentiate from this flashy group of people is probably the American guest, who truly appreciates Edward’s talent and invites him for a business talk to his office. This generous move is what finally loosens the tension and resolves the fight between the couple.

This is a hilarious comedy, reflecting the living habits of the French bourgeois and its interaction with the working and middle class. Despite differentiating radically from the ‘traditional’ French New Wave pioneers, Jacques Becker also gives a tone and style to his narrative, and should be deservedly credited as an auteur.

Edward and Caroline will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and EST for the first time in the UK on Monday, August 14th, along with three other titles by Jacques Becker: Casque d’Or (1952), Touchez pas au Grisbi (1956) and Le Trou (1960).

Touchez pas au Grisbi!

Posted on by victorfraga

Most of us dream of comfortable and peaceful retirement. And gangsters are no exception. They too want to stop working and enjoy the perks after a life of hard toiling. Preferably with a vast sum of money, so that they don’t ever have to worry about getting their hands dirty again.

This star-studded and neglected dirty gem follows the ageing gangster Max (Jean Gabin) and his partner-in-crime Riton (René Dary; both men are pictured above) as they pull off their final heist, a perfectly executed gold bullion robbery at Orly airport, near Paris. All goes well until Max’s deceitful ex-girlfriend Josy (Jeanne Moreau) tips off a rival gangster, Angelo (Lino Ventura). He kidnaps Riton and demands the gold as ransom, spoiling Max’s plans for a peaceful retirement.

Gabin, with saggy wrinkles at all, still looks very charming and attractive. He personifies the “scrupulous” gangster struggling to reconcile his values with the requirements of his not-so-noble job. This is movie about honour, ageing and loyalty, and a test of how far one is willing to go in the name of their personal allegiances. A 25-year-old Jeanne Moreau epitomises just the opposite: the lure and the volatility of youth.

Ultimately, Touchez pas au Grisbi is an elegant, finely acted and riveting gangster movie, with a crisp black and white photography. It will inject just the right amount of adrenaline into your heart and nervous system in order to keep you going for 91 minutes. It is supported by a very piercing and and powerful sound score, which will probably remind you of the later James Bond movies. The movie opens up with a very unusual version of Franx Schubert’s Ave Maria sung in French, and it’s also dotted with bits of chanson from yesteryear.

Touchez pas au Grisbi will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and EST in the UK on Monday, August 14th. Three other titles by Jacques Becker will be launched on the same date: Casque d’Or (1952), Le Trou (1960) and – for the first time in the UK – Edward and Caroline (1951).