Le dernier milliardaire

A true film maudit! Rene Clair's comedy was a catastrophic bomb in Europe: neither the left nor right were amused, and Clair didn't make another film in France until 1947. Today the French show more appreciation and have released "Le dernier milliardaire" on an excellent all-region Blu-Ray with English subtitles.

The film is a worthy addition to that precious group of 1930s Ruritanian dictator comedies: "Cracked Nuts," "Million Dollar Legs," and of course "Duck Soup." Many have claimed Clair was influenced by the latter but the release dates of LDM and DS were only seven months apart, and Clair said his primary influence was "Million Dollar Legs."

Nevertheless, LDM and Duck Soup share the common premise of a wealthy outsider taking over the government of a mismanaged Ruritania with zany consequences. But the still-relevant message of LDM is that you can't rely on the super-rich to save your the country, especially when they've been invited by the feckless monarchy.

Clair's approach to this premise is different from the comedic shotgun assault of the Marx Brothers: this gives the film its fascination and has wrong-footed many reviewers. His comedic approach is light and works through layering: Clair is a master of the slowly amplified recurring gag, as seen in the film's use of newsreels, neckties, and the national anthem of Casinario. The comedic highlights are the barter scenes and the Dadaist customs imposed by the unhinged dictator.

But if the feel and pace of the film differs greatly from the Marx Brothers, it shares a thematic goal: giving the raspberry to all forms of dignity and pomp, whether aristocratic or plutocratic.

Clair faulted LDS for not having any sympathetic characters, but those aren't required in an absurdist farce. The sympathetic young lovers are relegated to the sidelines and the ending gives the characters exactly what they deserve. If only "Le dernier milliardaire" got the same from posterity.

Rene Clair was arguably the greatest director in the world in the period from 1929 - 1933. "Under The Roofs of Paris", "Le Million". A Nous La Liberte" and "Quatorze Juliet" had been huge hits in France and received acclaim around the world from critics and filmmakers. All of these films are well known and represented in current film histories. What is so surprising is that his next film "Le Dernier Millionarde" (The Last Billionaire) is both almost completely unknown and unappreciated. The story seems in retrospect to have been a prescient warning of the dangers of Nazism, combining an absurd political plot with some brilliant comedic acting. The editing is extremely advanced for 1934, and pioneers the use of some techniques later used in Citizen Kane (ie the fake newsreel). See it if you can find it.

When the Kingdom of Casanario goes broke, the Queen and ministers offer to marry Princess Renee Saint-Cyr to billionaire Max Dearly. He demands a complete reorganization of the Kingdom with himself in charge, to which they agree. However, when he gets clunked on the head, he goes goofy and orders all hats thrown into the sea, everyone to wear short pants, and the ministers to run around on all fours, barking like dogs. To top things off, the Princess is in love with Jose Noguero, the leader of the palace band.

Rene Clair's silly comedy might be viewed as a variation on DUCK SOUP, with a liberal amount of satire on absolute monarchy and fascism thrown in. I suspect that Woody Allen might have taken it as a model when he was writing TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN, with its mixture of fake documentary and zaniness. Although it lacks the sympathetic charm of his other early sound films like SOUS LES TOITS DE PARIS and A NOUS LA LIBERTE, his handling of a straight farce is, as always, impeccable.

I am going to horrify all the lovers of the French cinema of the thirties but René Clair's films exasperate me."Le million" which some praise to the skies is an unbearable musical ,and I dare anyone to dig the obsolete songs which "enhance" it."Quatorze Juillet" ,although it features delicate Annabella -who's in "the million" too - was dwarfed ,twenty years after by Duvivier's sensational "fete à Henriette" which includes more ideas in ten minutes than the whole of Clair's Bastille Day story.

Some will also say that "Modern times" was inspired by Clair's " A nous la Liberté". Perhaps so.And by the same token ,Chaplin might have been inspired by "le Dernier Milliardaire" for "the big dictator" (although Hitler was enough for that matter).

"Le Dernier Milliardaire " is a comedy which is not even funny.One can find,at a pinch two or three gags : as in Casinario ,there is no more money ,a guy pays with a hen and as he claims change ,he is given two chicks .What about the tip ?Well,you 've guessed it ,an egg! The story takes place in Casinario(sic) ,an imaginary land which resembles Monaco where they pay people to do almost nothing,where everybody gambles at the casino .But one day the country goes bankrupt.Hence the necessity to call a billionaire to the rescue.This greybeard is also to marry the princess ,granddaughter of the queen of Casinario.But alas,she is in love with the young conductor.

The wealthy man soon turns out to be a big dictator.

The gags are ponderous,repetitive,the satire soon comes to a sudden end .This is a very talky movie,and the actors ,now forgotten -with the exception of Renée Saint-Cyr- are overacting to a fault,particularly Max Dearly and Marthe Mellot.

An old French tune ,"J'ai du bon tabac" (where tabac (=tobacco) means dough both in the song and in the film) is used again and again .The first time,it's a good idea,the eighth one,enough is enough! I should like René Clair.I try and I try but I cannot.