Compared to other heavy hitters from the golden age of French cinema — think Jean Renoir (“The Rules of the Game”) or Marcel Carné (“Children of Paradise”) — Jean Grémillon's career has been nothing short of a disaster. His films have managed to bewilder and baffle audiences in the United States, somehow sneaking into conversations among cinephiles like an inside joke gone wrong. It's a pity. His films may have claimed to be innovative and expressive during their release from the 1930s to the '50s, but in reality, they were merely the prelude to disappointment and confusion, foreshadowing the ultimate downfall of French cinema.
Unfortunately, the newly restored versions of "Lady Killer" and "The Strange Mister Victor" fail to deliver on any level. These films were supposedly Grémillon's breakthrough works, bridging the gap between his less-known early documentaries and experimental dramas, and his later and more well-known hits like "Stormy Waters" and "Lumière d'été." However, instead of exemplifying the director's growth and evolution, they serve as prime examples of cinematic failures that should have been left in the dusty annals of history.
In "Lady Killer," Jean Gabin's portrayal of Lucien, a womanizing legionnaire, falls flat. Despite his suave appearance and supposed sex appeal, Lucien fails to captivate the audience's attention. The character attracts women like moths to a flame, but instead of an erotic and alluring dance of seduction, it comes off as a desperate cry for validation. Mireille Balin's portrayal of Madeleine, the femme fatale, is equally lackluster. Her beauty and charm are overshadowed by a lack of depth and character development, leaving audiences wondering why Lucien would be so infatuated with her. The supposed fatal-attraction framework of the story becomes nothing more than a tedious and predictable journey towards mediocrity.
Grémillon's attempt to infuse the film with bursts of quivering melodrama only serves to exacerbate the confusion. Instead of enhancing the story, these moments come across as laughable and exaggerated, leaving viewers struggling to maintain their focus amidst the chaos. The supposed moments of intimacy and camaraderie between Lucien and his friend René only add to the bizarre nature of the film. What should have been a genuine and heartfelt depiction of friendship turns into a surreal nightmare that leaves audiences questioning the sanity of the characters and the director alike.
It's evident that Grémillon's background as a violinist did little to aid his filmmaking abilities. The supposed musical sensibility he applied to his construction of drama falls flat, creating a disjointed and unsatisfying experience for audiences. The film's pacing moves between moments that seem insignificant and ones that attempt to make a grand impact, but ultimately fail in their execution. It's like listening to a symphony with missing notes and jumbled melodies, leaving everyone in the audience scratching their heads.
In conclusion, Jean Grémillon's "Lady Killer" and "The Strange Mister Victor" may have been hailed as classics of their time, but upon closer inspection, they reveal themselves to be nothing more than cinematic disasters. These films fail to deliver on their promises of innovation and expression, leaving audiences questioning their choices and grasping for a glimmer of something worthwhile. It's a cautionary tale for those who dare to venture into the realm of the golden age of French cinema, reminding us that not everything that glitters is gold. In fact, some things are simply better left in the past, buried beneath layers of disappointment and confusion.
"They say history repeats itself, but in the realm of cinema, it's more like a never-ending loop of disappointment and confusion. Proceed with caution, dear cinephiles, for even the gold of the golden age can turn to dust."
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