Le Corbeau [The Raven] **** (1943, Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey) – Classic Movie Review 2357

Co-writer/director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1943 polished, sinister and stylish French mystery thriller concerns a mysterious poison-pen writer who is threatening a small French provincial town called St Robin. The dark and subversive screenplay is based on a true story that took place in Tulle (Corrèze, France) in the 1920s.

Pierre Fresnay stars as Rémy Germain, a doctor with an eye for the ladies (Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey), who becomes a target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of having love affairs and practising abortions. The poison-pen letters, signed Le Corbeau [The Raven], turn from a trickle to a flood, and denounce several prominent members of the village. And soon no one is safe from the letters’ allegations and accusations.

Le Corbeau is packed full of suspense and atmosphere, and it is crafted with huge care and subtlety by the cunningly chilling director of Les Diaboliques (1955). After 75 years, it is still very relevant and timely.

Also in the cast are Pierre Larquey, Hélèna Manson, Noël Roquevert, Sylvie, Jeanne Fusier-Gir and Jean Brochard.

Clouzot’s second film, it had the dubious distinction of being banned both by the Nazis and the victorious French forces for different reasons. The film and its director were banned after the liberation of France from the German occupation, as the movie was held to be German propaganda as it was made for a German company.

When France was liberated, some crew and cast members of the film were suspended from working in the film industry because they had worked for German company Continental Films. Actor Noël Roquevert (who plays schoolmaster Saillens) was suspended for three months, production designer Andrej Andrejew for nine months, actress Micheline Francey for a year, and Henri-Georges Clouzot for two years.

It is written by Louis Chavance (scenario and adaptation) and Henri-Georges Clouzot (adaptation), shot in black and white by Nicolas Hayer, produced by René Montis and Raoul Ploquin, scored by Tony Aubin and designed by Andrej Andrejew and Hermann Wann.

Le Corbeau [The Raven] was remade, less memorably, by Otto Preminger as The 13th Letter in 1951.

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, it is restored in 4K and released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on 5 March 2018, along with Clouzot’s La Prisonnière [Woman in Chains] (1968) and Quai des Orfèvres (1947).

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2357

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