Manon **** (1949, Cécile Aubry, Michel Auclair, Serge Reggiani) – Classic Movie Review 6654

Director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s impressive and engrossing 1949 film version of Abbé Prévost’s classic novel Manon Lescault is updated to post-World War Two France, and a situation close to his heart, persecution for collaborating with the Nazis.

Clouzot had worked in Nazi-occupied France as a screenwriter and director for the German-owned company Continental Films and, after the liberation of France, he was tried in court for collaborating with the Germans and sentenced to being banned from going on set of any film or from using a film camera for the rest of his life. However, Clouzot’s sentence was later shortened from life to two years, so he was banned by the French Government from film making until 1947.

In Manon, Clouzot re-tells the story of ambitious, gold-digging femme fatale Manon Lescault (Cécile Aubry) whose insatiable lust for money destroys her relationship with lover Robert Desgrieux (Michel Auclair) and finally her life.

Robert is a French Resistance veteran who rescues Manon from villagers intent on lynching her for collaboration with the Nazis. Then they quickly relocate to Paris, where they become embroiled in profiteering, prostitution and murder.

Clouzot’s film has some extraordinary performances, particularly from Aubry and Auclair, but also from Serge Regianni as Manon’s dirty brother Leon Lescaut, Gabrielle Dorziat as the bordello madam Mme Agnès and Héléna Manson as a Normandy peasant The Gossip.

The screenplay by Clouzot and Jean Ferry is subtle and impeccable, and the depiction of the post-war Parisian underworld is extremely vivid. And this outstanding film won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival in 1949.

Also in the cast are Andrex, Henri Vilbert, Raymond Souplex, André Valmy, Héléna Manson, Dora Doll, Simone Valère, Daniel Invernel, Edmond Ardisson, Michel Bouquet and Robert Dalban.

It is shot in black and white by Armand Thirard, produced by Paul-Edmond Decharme, scored by Paul Misraki, and designed by Max Douy.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6654

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