César ***** (1936, Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, André Fouché, Alida Rouffé) – Classic Movie Review 6396

Marcel Pagnol wrote the third part of his marvellous Marius trilogy especially for the cinema, and this time he directs the film himself too. It follows Marius (1931) and Fanny (1932).

It is slower, longer (at 168 minutes) and more theatrical than before, though no less impressive, and this serves to create a magnificent mood for the trilogy’s most emotional section, a grand reflection on the onset of old age and temps perdu.

Orane Demazis returns as Fanny, and this time her now adult son Césariot (André Fouché) finds out about his real father and sets out to find Marius (Pierre Fresnay) and reunite his parents.

Once again, there are splendid performances all round, with Fouché holding his own against the more experienced cast of French stage luminaries and veterans of the two previous films. The colourful characters and their fates exert a continuing, strong hold.

The star cast are Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, André Fouché, Alida Rouffé, Paul Dullac, Robert Vattier, Marcel Maupi, Édouard Delmont and Milly Mathis.

It is shot in black and white by Grischa, Willy Faktorovitch and Roger Ledru, produced by Marcel Pagnol, scored by Vincent Scotto and designed by Albino Constanzo.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6396

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