La poison

Michel Simon is married to Germaine Reuver and they hate each other. He complains about her to everyone in town. One night, he hears Jean Debucourt on the radio. Debucourt is a lawyer who has won his hundredth acquittal and is interviewed on the subject. So Simon goes to the lawyer and confesses that he has killed his wife, draws out the details of how he has done it -- with an eye towards acquittal -- and goes home to kill her. When Debucourt shows up, Simon proceeds to blackmail the lawyer into mounting his defense in this excessively funny black comedy from Sacha Guitry.

If you want someone to play a monster and yet be very human and funny, you could never do any better than Michel Simon. Watching his ego grow, from that of a man frightened to go home to one lecturing judges in court, he makes everyone his straight man, thanks to Guitry's script (obviously written for his star's talents).

Guitry offers his credits in an unusual manner: he strolls around the set, complimenting his major collaborators, who appear as themselves -- although a couple who are heard only over the radio are thanked over the phone. It's a thoroughly theatrical invention from an artist who straddled stage and screen.

One is perfectly justified to see this as social satire, but for me Guthry's "La poison" (1951) is, above all, an easygoing, darkly humorous and witty pastiche on acting in all its forms – taking on roles in marriage, in society, in one's own eyes, in others' eyes, and of course, in a film. The opening introductory credit sequence sets the mood perfectly, as there we are explicitly shown that we will witness a performance that has been carefully planned, all actors, actresses and staff selected. I don't think this is just a stylistic whim of exuberance, it's an actual set-up for us. There are several references to theatre with exits and entrances through doors, and space is handled with confines, scenes as separate entities, spaces as separate entities. And then there's the central scene in the lawyer's office, where they literally create a fabrication that when inverted becomes the desired reality for Simon's character. Reconstruction, deconstruction, all of this means the same in this wonderful scene.

The chimera and the clown, death and joy – that's what the film is also about. This contrast of tragedy and comedy, its light-hearted darkness, presents itself also in the title, playing with the meaning of poison ("le poison" in French, with the masculine article) and the mocking identifier "la poison" (with the feminine article) given to… well, by all means watch the film and you'll find out.

Sacha Guitry is not a movie director, let alone a screenwriter. Guitry claims so in the opening credits sequence: "I daresay this is stage play." As for me this kind of heavy-handed foreword is out of place in a movie. "L'auteur, bien entendu" shows off and introduce us to the whole cast starting with a grand praise of Michel Simon. The monologue is good but Guitry is insufferably pedantic while we're supposed to get in the movie. Yet I admit this clunky device worked for Le Roman d'un tricheur, but only because 1/Guitry was the lead 2/he played a lifelong cheat and 3/he told us his life in a series of flashbacks.

Now La Poison would have been really poor indeed were it not for Michel Simon's talent. Once Sacha Guitry lets the movie start it rolls up pretty good. The satirical tone tends to be heavy but with Michel Simon playing at times borderline dramatic that sets a good balance... until the movie gets clunky again. Michel Simon has a very good scene with his presumptive lawyer followed by an awfully serious one involving the lawyer and the visiting general attorney. There you can see that the movie needs Michel Simon as a driving force (and Germaine Reuver as the main resulting force of course) : that's a very low and overstretched point made just before the climax. The Climax: Guitry shoots it quite on the nose but the scene is so meaningful it doesn't require much more.

The problem is after the climax the movie has nowhere to go. The satirical tone? It was good enough for the setup but it keeps playing like it's a light comedy (I'm sorry but satirical tone + murder doesn't necessarily make a dark comedy). So the people from the village keep playing the regular types they were assigned to and the trial is totally farcical. There you can only regret that the lawyer's part had been so blatantly undersized. As for Michel Simon if you let him become too strong a character he will overshadow everyone in the scene. And that's what happens: from the climax down to its end La Poison errs and cannot make up for Guitry's poor cinematographic vision.

In an opening credits segment that's certainly original, writer-director Sacha Guitry appears in front of the camera and personally greets the actors and the rest of the crew who worked in this film. At one point, he mentions that he still sees film as theater (where he began his career), and you can tell - there are long scenes with two people sitting opposite each other talking, which on one hand allows you to admire the wit of the dialogue (the more French you pick up, probably the better), on the oher hand it makes the film feel sometimes talky and belabored. With that said, in other aspects "La Poison" is definitely ahead of its time - especially in the uncompomising, merciless blackness of its comedy. I doubt anyone in Hollywood could get away with this type of ending in 1951 (they could, for a while, before 1934 and the Code). Look out for a young Louis de Funès with plenty of hair! **1/2 out of 4.

Several years ago, I saw and enjoyed "A Crime in Paradise". However, I knew it was a remake and wanted to see the original. I was thrilled when the Criterion Channel added it recently...and it turned out to be every bit as good as the remake...perhaps a bit better.

The beginning of the movie is most unusual. The writer and director, Sacha Guitry, introduces the cast and crew...and has a short thank you speech for every one of them!

When the story begins, Paul Braconnier (Michel Simon) is complaining to the priest about his ugly wife. She drinks constantly and is a loathsome person...and he's sick of her. Later, Paul listens to a talk show on the radio and a very successful defense attorney is talking about his career defending murderers. Paul likes what the guy says and realizes that this attorney should defend him...when he actually gets around to murdering his wife!

Soon, Paul shows up at the attorney's office and tells her he's just killed his wife. The fact is, Paul hasn't yet done it...he just wants to figure out how best to do it in order to be acquitted in court! Well, the lawyer doesn't know that and inadvertently helps Paul formulate the murder!

Paul goes home and plans on killing his wife. What he doesn't know is that she is also planning on poisoning him...and he ends up killing her before he drinks the poison she's given him! Soon, he's in court...and all his neighbors come to speak on his behalf...because apparently, they also couldn't stand her! So what comes of all this? See the film.

This is a super dark comedy...so much so that I am certain many won't enjoy it or will find it a bit unseemly. I thought it was of course dark, but also funny and clever....and well worth seeing. Well crafted and worth your time.