Charles Dullin, legit actor who specializes in character parts, is suitably repulsive as the picture-maker. Louis Jouvet, an admirer of Clouzot's work, invited him to direct a thriller "Quai des Orfevres" where he played an ambiguous police inspector investigating a murder that happened in Paris Music Hall. Bertrand Blier (father of Bertrand Blier and co-star of his Buffet Froid) is the worldworn pianist who married beneath himself and who plans to kill the seedy studio mogul with designs on his wife only to find that someone has beaten him to it. Packed with memorable characters, sprinkled with a couple of musical numbers, and laced with some provocative themes, the film also paints an authentic slice-of-life portrait of post-World War II Paris as it tells its absorbing, nuanced story. The film is presented in a splendid 4K transfer, respecting the original 1.37 : 1 ratio, which does justice to Thirard’s expressionist black & white cinematography - the amount of grain is perfectly adequate. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Meanwhile, a distraught Jenny confides in her photographer friend Dora (Simone Renant), a closet lesbian who harbors romantic feelings for her. The real achievement of Quai des Orfevres is how expertly it bridges the gap between formula and innovation. A Maigret-esque detective, Inspector Antoine (Louis Jouvet, Bizarre, Bizarre), leaves no stone unturned in his exceedingly private investigations of the down-at-heel showbiz couple’s sad, tempestuous life. Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018. When he leaves the crime scene, his car is stolen and Maurice has to walk back to the theater. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. His palpable sensitivity and anxiety and her streetwise arrogance create a combustible romantic dynamic, and it’s fascinating to see it develop. It starts off marvelously, but kind of hits a wall at a certain point. Quai des Orfevres Critics Consensus Henri-Georges Clouzot's engrossing noir explores the troubles of post-war France and the line dividing social struggle and criminality. With some spots of the American classic films (but not imitating it) the director tales us a story about love, crime and the importance of points of view. With so much going on in one film, you have to hang onto your seat as you're propelled through multiple turns of plot and a large cast of characters all converging in a final point of narrative impact - and on Christmas Eve. To non-French audience, "Quai des Orfèvres" carries the same resonance than 'Scotland Yard' for British people as the legendary Police headquarter Police in Paris, preceded by number 36, and the setting of the most memorable criminal resolutions that nourished French pop-culture of the early century: Landru, la Bande à Bonnot etc. It's about the murder of a loathsome businessman and impresario and the three main suspects are one of his potential protégés, (Suzy Delair), her jealous husband, (Bernard Blier), and a female photographer, (Simone Renant). Occasionally, the direction is quite slick. Hosting by Stablepoint, Search for the best prices on thousands of products. One downside is it takes a while to get going, only really doing so once Louis Jouvet's police detective enters the picture. Metacritic Reviews. I am not sure how good or bad that is for this French police procedural emanating from the song- and-dance community, though it is certainly interesting that what we do know throughout is who did not do it. Pinkerton knows a lot about the French film industry, and his expertise makes this track an essential listen for those eager to learn about international cinema. Maybe not as thrilling as some of Clouzot's other films but a fine film nonetheless. You wind up rooting for the trio. Part film noir, part musical, part mystery, and part police procedural, Quai des Orfèvres is a beautifully crafted and absorbing thriller from French master Henri-Georges Clouzot that paints a realistic portrait of post-World War II Paris and contains some strikingly topical references for today's audiences. All three of them one night secretly visit the crime scene of a murder of the loathsome elderly capitalist (Charles Dullin) who makes advances towards Jenny: the film shows you how they attempt to cover their tracks, and then how a seedy gumshoe on the Paris police force (Louis Jouvet) undoes all their work. Louis Jouvet (L'inspecteur adjoint Antoine), Suzy Delair, and Bernard Blier (Maurice Martineau) all give great performances. Suberb directing, acting, and atmospheric photography. When Jenny realizes she left her fox fur at Brignon’s home, Dora impulsively rushes to retrieve it and destroy any evidence that might incriminate the woman she loves. Coming Soon, Regal The story takes place in post-war Paris, where an accompanist, Maurice Martineau (Blier) lives with his singer wife, Marguerite, better known as Jenny Lamour (Suzy Delair). Quai des Orfèvres (1947) Cast: Louis Jouvet , Simone Renant , Bernard Blier , Suzy Delair , Pierre Larquey , Jeanne Fusier-Gir , Claudine Dupuis , Charles Dullin Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot This work presents arguably the greatest ambiguity ever filmed. In every respect it is outstanding. On the plus side, the great Louis Jouvet does what he can with the detective part and the film has been well produced on a sizable budget. Clouzot admits he's "naturally violent," which might explain his reputation for "manhandling actors," and talks about his pessimistic view of humanity, the close friendship he had with actor Louis Jouvet, and how he adapted Quai des Orfevres. Though a bit more conventional than French director Henri-Georges Clouzot's better-known Les Diaboliques (1955) and other, later films, Quai des Orfèvres (1947) is an immensely satisfying police procedural with noir elements, set in the world of what might be described as France's vaudeville. Simone Renant, as the photographer who is the couple’s best friend, is very plausible. The cinematography is fantastic, with the directing and framing standing out as truly exquisite. In 1995, a critics poll in the French film magazine Positif placed Quai des Orfèvres as the second greatest French thriller of all time. About the only negative, and the reason the film gets a 9 and not a 10, is because there was a glaring plot hole. Cluozot had difficulties working in France after he had made "Le Corbeau" in 1943 which was produced by the German company and later judged by French as a piece of anti-French propaganda. Entertaining, well acted and directed, and memorable, without being pretentious. The film ranking website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 100% approval rating, based on 32 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.34/10. In this I share Hitchcock's view, which says, 'A murder mystery is a slice of cake with raisins and candied fruit, and if you deny yourself this, you might as well film a documentary.'" Beyond the finesse of the screenplay, it is also important to highlight the pictorial quality of Quai des Orfèvres; Armand Thirard's (The Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques) exquisite cinematography and the sets created by Max Douy (The Red Inn), play a key role in the fascinating atmosphere exerted by the film. Company No 0652630. The Director loves the actress and it shows. 3. Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2006. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Pierre Larquey is the honest taxidriver whom the police methods compel to turn informant in spite of himself. When Martineau notices his wife flirting with an older businessman named Georges Brignon, he follows her to Brignon's house with the intent to kill him. Coming Soon. © Copyright 2020 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. Great mis en scene (Paris theater life right after WWII and police headquarters at Quai des Orfevres). Maurice marked the portly Blier’s first stab at drama and he makes the most of the opportunity, turning in a highly affecting performance, while Delair - who was Clouzot’s lover and muse at the time - combines her considerable vocal talents with a potent allure and underlying devotion to her homely mate to create an unpredictable and surprisingly layered character.