Poil de carotte

Herr Julien Duvivier was a great French film director well known for his talkie career, specially during the 30's of the last century, a time when his films were very appreciated for their "poetic realism". However, it is unfair to neglect his remarkable silent career, a very interesting time during which Herr Julien established his style working as an assistant director to great French silent film directors like Herr André Antoine, Marcel L'Herbier and Herr Feuillade.

"Poil de Carotte" is a great film and a good example of Herr Duvivier's stylistic virtues. It is a beautiful and classical oeuvre that tells the story of the complicated relationships within a French family in a provincial town. It is a film adaptation of the French author Herr Jules Renard's eponymous oeuvre, which Herr Duvivier would later remake as a talkie in 1932.

Many longhaired youngsters might think that with such a plot, this German aristocrat couldn't appreciate or understand those peasant family French conflicts depicted in the film, but it isn't so because family conflicts is also a customary habit in the aristocracy and certain particular attitudes of the local inhabitants of that provincial French town ( gossip, politics… ) are very usual too in aristocrat circles.

Everything is brilliant in "Poil de Carotte", from technical and special effects that enrich superbly the film narrative of the oeuvre ( imaginative and varied camera tricks ) to splendid cinematography by Herr Ganzli Walter und André Dantan, that emphasizes masterfully the different surroundings of the film. There are moody shots that give a particular atmosphere to indoor scenes ( beautiful and dark and complicated to be filmed ) or outdoor scenes that are bright and reminiscent of Herr Renoir or Herr Van Gogh paintings.

The acting is perfect and the actors are inspired in their interpretations; Francois Lepic ( nicknamed by his family as "poil de carotte" - red-head ) is performed convincingly by André Heuzé, a child who is continuously maltreated by his own family, especially his wicked mother, Madame Lepic ( Charlotte Barbier-Krauss ) a "dominatrice" woman with a splendid moustache (not unlike the one sported by this German count ) and his brother and sister, Félix and Annette ( Fabien Haziza und Lydia Zorena, respectively ); his father-patient but distant- is Monsieur Lepic ( Henry Krauss ) who doesn't know how to deal with such complex family relationships and conflicts. The supporting cast is also excellent, particularly a local singer who's also the provincial French vamp, Ernestine ( Renée Jean ) who this German count likes specially.

"Poil de Carotte" is a film with a strong regional French flavour but also with Dickensian overtones, a wonderful oeuvre of a director who has a splendid but unfortunately not well-known silent period that deserves rediscovery.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count has an appointment with a Teutonic redhead heiress with a big moustache.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien

http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

...which was so hard on him,Duvivier reigned over the French cinema during 40 years .He made films in America,in England ,in Italy ,in Germany.Which director of the New Wavelet can say the same? In Lille today ,Duvivier's native town,there 's no Duvivier street,no Duvivier school ,no Duvivier hospital.Do they even mention his name when they teach cinema at the university?.In Rouen ,one metro station is called François TRuffaut and that director was not even born here.

This is the silent version of Jules Renard's classic ,seven years before the talkie featuring Harry Baur and Robert Lynen .Once again all we have to do is stand and applause.Renard's book,made of small vignettes ,very short chapters,is very hard to transfer to the screen.As he would do in 1932,Duvivier -who was also a writer- selected several scenes he particularly liked in the novel (the hens,the little girl) and wrote a linear screenplay .The storyline of the remake is more assured for the 1925 treatment includes a love affair between Felix and a bad gal (not from the book) which sometimes gets in the way.

THis is minor quibble:"Poil de Carotte" is Duvivier at his best ;he 's second to none when it comes to depicting nastiness,and Madame Lepic epitomizes nastiness.This terrifying mustached shrew surpasses the histrionic strident missus of the second version.If smile could kill,hers probably would.She looks like a man with a wig:Duvivier probably wanted to show the father's weakness,his impossibility to be a man.

The young boy who portrays the miserable boy is as good as Robert Lynen .His face covered in freckles is so desperate ,so touching :he is literally begging to be loved .The first time he's wanted to commit suicide,he gives up ,because "it would sadden his friends".... the dog and the cat....The second time ,those sinister lines appear on the screen ,twice : the barn.....the beam....the rope....

As the precedent user ,a Duvivier specialist has pointed out, there are plenty of technical innovations,probably inspired by former experiments by Abel Gance : the specter in the sky when the brat goes to the hen house ;four or five boys are working around monsieur Lepic who realizes that his son has really got a raw deal;the merry-go-round and Poil de Carotte's head .The fair ,Duvivier already knew how to use it to startling effects:he would use it again,in an even more outstanding way in his 1945 masterpiece "Panique" .Too bad Duvivier did not treat the harrowing chapter "La Tempête des Feuilles" (=the leaves storm ).It would have fit a silent movie like a glove.

Duvivier's legendary pessimism is present,although there's some kind of happy end (Now there are two of us),the same as in the remake.A happy end when you know your mother will never give you any love ...like Jules Renard's own mother.It was a true story.

Like this?try these: Luis Bunuel:"los Olvidados" (1950) Luigi Comencini :"incompreso" (1967) Maurice Pialat: "L'Enfance Nue" (1968) Dardenne bros : "Rosetta" (1999)

...well known . impressive. for the passion of Duvivier for the novel of Jules Renard. for the impressive technique for period. for Andre Heuze in the lead role, perfet image of Francois Lepic. for impressive Charlotte Barbier giving a pure Dickens -like character. and admirable for coherence of script, not ignoring the difficulties to adapt the book. a film like a trip in past. like a remember about the first steps of cinema and about its meaning, about the hard work of the pionners and about the ignored names of actors and directors. short, a film like a real usefull experience.