Der merkwürdige Monsieur Victor

Raimu is many things. He's the loving husband of Madeleine Renaud and the father of their newborn son, he's a successful shop owner, he's well respected and connected throughout Toulon, he's a fence for a gang that have just robbed a castle and a church, and he's the murderer of one of the gang who tried to blackmail him. Not that anyone but the thieves know the last two, and the surviving thieves don't know the last. Everyone thinks that cobbler Pierre Blanchar is the murderer and he's sentenced to Devil's Island. And so seven years pass, and Blanchar escapes and returns hoping to see his son.

This movie has many nice touches, lots of performers who get a single name on the screen -- a mark, in France, of their renown, real or not -- some nice atmosphere, including a game of petanque, and a particularly good performance from Mlle Renaud. At its heart, though, it's a vehicle for Raimu, and he shows his enormous range in the first half hour, from clown to murderer. It is in the final hour of the movie that he comes to exemplify all the contradictions that make up human beings. There are not so many laughs in this part, even as Raimu makes up a tall tale to tell his wife. It's that sad clown mien that Raimu dons as he explains what's going on in his heart that I find so touching.

I saw it back in the 70's at a university film club, thought the acting was excellent, especially Madeleine Renaud and Pierre Blanchar, and then forgot about it for 40 years. Now YouTube has graciously let us see it again (along with scores of other French classics) and it is time for a reappraisal.

I found some awkward moments; Gremillon can't hold back the force of nature that is Raimu--he sputters and wind-mills his arms a few too many times for me. Raimu had carte blanche to do pretty much what he pleased, just as Gabin had, and it could hurt a film's impact. With that said, the other actors do a fine job. Andrex and Georges Flamant as the thieves have the right menace, Viviane Romance is wonderfully sensual (just watch her in the shoe store scene) and Blanchar's unjustly convicted man is a textbook acting job. Gremillon went on to do finer work such as Lumiere d'ete and Remorques.

Raimu (Victor) runs a successful shop in Toulon selling artefacts and knick-knacks. He is a popular member of the community and is somewhat of a scatty, bumbling character only he is funny with it unlike the British comedy characters of this era. A robbery has taken place in the town and has hit the headlines and 3 men turn up at Raimu's house. Guess what? These 3 men are the thieves and Raimu is the ring-leader! Well, no-one expected that. Cobbler Pierre Blanchar (Bastien) is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets sentenced to 10 years in prison when one of the thieves - Georges Flamant (Amedee) - is killed. We know who the real killer is. Guess who? Flamant wants to see his son so hatches a plan to escape but who can he turn to for help in Toulon. Guess who?

I agree with the reviewer "kekseksa" who lays it out as it is. Raimu is not a good man - he is a criminal with a ruthless streak. There are 2 noted reviewers for French films - "dbdumonteil" and "writers_reign" - who I always read before purchasing any frog film, and they have got this one wrong in their assessments of Raimu's character, I'm afraid. He is bad and there is even tension in the film when he is shielding Blanchar as we think he might turn him in and claim the reward, or kill him so he permanently disappears. These are both likely situations that pass through the mind.

The cast are all good, especially the two female roles. Even the children do well and I usually can't stand children in films. One thing that I don't get is why anyone would want to escape 7 years into a 10-year sentence just to see their son. In this prison, they are even given cool hats to wear. The French are obviously a bit weird.

Raimu restored version.

Nice camerawork.

Bastien.

The main character, Mr. Victor, is played by Raimu...a fine French actor who I've enjoyed in other movies, such as "The Baker's Wife". Here, however, instead of playing a nice or comedic role, he plays a man who is respected by the community yet is scum down deep. It's because the shop owner also is a fence for thieves...as well as a murderer! It seems one of his 'employees' was threatening him, so Victor stabbed him and allowed another man to go to prison for the crime!! However, several years later, the convicted killer escapes and comes to Mr. Victor for help. What's next? All sorts of unexpected things!

The plot here is incredibly original, some nice acting, and I also liked the nice cinematography. As for the story, it's good but nothing spectacular....but overall it's well worth seeing...particularly if you like French cinema.