La beauté du diable

long time, for me it was the result of an unique meet - Rene Clair, Michel Simon and Gerard Philippe. then, it seems be one of the most elegant adaptations of the legend of Doctor Faust. not the last, a seductive work of Gerard Philippe who, more than an admirable performance, has the splendid gift to give to us the pure, honest, vulnerable, fresh and touching spirit of youth. it is a film who seems be so simple... . a fairy tale, or parable, well known before you see it. but, in essence, it remains a revelation. like an open window in the early morning of summer.

René Clair located the action in an imaginary land ,at a time which is not historically precise: it may make you think of Italy and the characters of the prince and his wife might hint at a principality .A time which may remind you of the Renaissance or the seventeenth century when science and alchemy were not entirely differentiated :hence the people's wrath , sorcery was unholy ......Mephistopheles was one of the seven princes of Hell and one of the incarnations of the Devil;however, in the film,he's sent by the Devil (as Dominique and Gilles were envoys in "les visiteurs du soir" (1942),or on God' s side ,Clarence in "it's a wonderful life "(1945)). He's really on a mission .

Michel Simon ,actor extraordinaire ,as brilliant in the tragedy ("panique" ) as in the comedy ("drôle de drame" ) , was the best embodiment of the Devil I had ever seen;And Clair insisted his film be a tragi-comedy! Gérard Philipe 's portrayal was more contested ,but his boyish looks ,his romantic appeal and even his sniggering face when he appears for the first time cannot fail to win the audience over :his premature death was a major loss for the French cinema .Both actors play doubles ,which confuses the viewer and adds to the pleasure to watch these monstres sacrés together on the screen.

The first scene in the academy sets the tone :although doctor Faust is praised by his peers ,he's bored stiff during the ceremony (you should see Simon's face); a life devoted to science is an unfulfilled one ; by reading the lines in the palm of his hand,Marguerite (who appears as a gypsy ,an astute choice,for gypsies 'science is close to magic) tells him that "his life is over" .Naively ,Faust thinks that his true life,in which he will enjoy all the pleasures of life ,has begun.

Another side of the movie won't be lost on today's audience : after WW2, the fear of the atomic bomb reached peaks circa 1950; as Carné disguised the French resistance as a medieval fable in "les visiteurs du soir" ,Clair uses the legendary costume drama as a warning against the power of wealth and science : Faust becomes a pawn in the Devil's game he uses for destruction ,for man's downfall ; fortune and the princess are lures which can only be the death of the country and later on, the whole world .

After fifty years of service to the University and science without enjoying the pleasures of life, Professor Henri Faust (Michel Simon) is visited by the servant of Lucifer, Mephistopheles (Gérard Philipe), who offers youth and a new life to him.

Professor Faust switches body with Mephistopheles and the young Henri meets the gypsy girl Marguerite (Nicole Besnard), but he is accused of killing Professor Faust and is arrested. Mephistopheles tries to force Henri to sign a contract to give his soul to Lucifer. Henri refuses and Mephistopheles schemes an evil plot, bringing Henri to the court to become successful, transforming sand into gold and becoming the lover of the Princess (Simone Valère). When Henri is dumped to the poverty again, he is lured by Mephistopheles and accepts to sign the contract. Will Lucifer win the battle against the integrity of Henri and the love of Marguerite with him?

"La Beauté du Diable" is a delightful adaptation of the German legend of Faust. The witty screenplay of René Clair and Armand Salacrou is wonderful and Michel Simon "steals" the film in the role of the wicked Mephistopheles in very funny situations. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Beleza do Diabo" ("The Beauty of the Devil")

Note: On 11 April 2024, I saw this film again.

This is such an excellent movie. It's worth calling a masterpiece. I just want to tell everyone I know about it! Gerard Philippe is amazingly handsome. To lots of people, he might look not only handsome but also smart, sophiscated and sexy and he is as a matter of a fact. Plots, performance, direction, casting, music and background. These essences of movies are just outstanding. Told by my friends that he was an amazing actor, I understood that they were right after watching this movie. I felt deeply satisfied by the quality just like I had wonderful meals in the 3-star restaurant.

If you want to explore French movies, I will recommend you this one.

At the time I am writing this, IMDB has the title of this film rather confusingly translated as "Beauty And The Beast" - which is, of course, a whole other kettle of myth altogether.

"The Beauty Of The Devil", on the other hand, is a thoroughly sumptuous retelling of the Faust legend, told with unusual verve, and of course a flawless performance by Michel Simon (was he ever bad in anything?)

There is great atmosphere, delightfully fairytale-like sets, and first rate photography - far better than the flat cheapness of most other French films of the 1950s - all thankfully in an excellently preserved print.

The preternaturally beautiful Gerard Philipe, as Mephistopheles, also turns in a fine performance, throwing in just enough subtle traces of the rheumatic Simon to make us believe the older Faust is wearing his body. Nicole Besnard, as the gypsy maiden who takes him in, and Simone Valère, as her princess rival, both see his good looks and raise him some extra gorgeousness.

This is the most fun and romantic take on Faust I think I have seen, a parable of life and love and failure and regret. Yes, it could have been more frightening and dramatic and devilish, but then it would also have lost a lot of its charm. As it is, it's a worthy companion to Rene Clair's earlier english language movies 'I Married A Witch' and 'And Then There Were None', with a discernibly similar texture and touch, an atmosphere of fantasy, and every frame a painting in itself.