Remous

This 1933 French film's (with English sub-titles)first US showing was in NYC in November, 1939 under the title of "Whirlpool of Desire," and not just "Whirlpool." The story is about a newly-married couple whose happiness is shattered when the husband (Jean Galland-2nd billed)is made a paralytic in an automobile accident. The wife (1st-billed Jeanne Boitel)still loves him, although he is incapable of any physical love. She is slowly drawn into a short-lived affair with a handsome athlete, played by the 3rd-billed Maurice Maillot.

When the husband learns of the affair, he commits suicide. But the wife cannot forget him and she sends her lover away.

There were several elements of the plot ---adultery, suicide--- that conflicted with some of the "do & don't" MPPDA rules that may have held up this film getting a PCA approval seal for many more years than it took most import films of the era. The author credited on this film was the American-citizen Peggy Thompson.

In his absorbing "Voyage A Travers Le cinema Français ",Bertrand Tavernier devoted a whole chapter to Edmond T GReville whose work is not very known in France ;with the exceptions of "Menaces" and "L'Envers Du Paradis" ,none of the works I've seen ("brief ecstasy" "secret life" "Le Port Du Désir" "Les Menteurs" "L'accident") really filled me with enthusiasm.But Tavernier talks about two very attracting movies : "Le Diable Soufflé " is ,alas,nowhere to be seen.But " Remous " was recently released on DVD .

"Remous" is certainly the best movie Greville produced in the thirties,even superseding "Menaces " ;the subject was,for the time, absolutely scandalous and they call a spade a spade: the word 'impotence" is uttered and the wife's sexual frustration is depicted as strongly as the times (mid-thirties) allowed :read the trivia on the main page at a time the Hayes Code was ruling;and do not forget that DH Lawrence 's "Lady Chatterley 's lover " was forbidden in the US.And that the first film based on it was made in France in 1955 in a watered-down adaptation.

Symbolism is certainly subtle : pictures of the sea waters (and its "swirls"= that's what's the title means),of the broken record (a piece of which both lovers pick up)and of the nervous sleepless wife at night;and if it were not enough, the husband ,an engineer ,is building a dam.Besides,the ending takes place on it.

Françoise Rosay provides the movie with a comic relief ,but it does not really interest the director who has only eyes for his characters' tragedy .

Bertrand Tavernier is right: its release on DVD is cause for celebration.Now,roll on "Le Diable Soufflé"

This masterpiece directed by Edmond Gréville is at last available on dvd, with wonderful bonus : 1 interview by Bertrand Tavernier of nearly 1 hour explaining the director's career and his invisible great films like "le diable souffle" and another interview by Gréville himself, talking about his main influence EA Dupont, who also inflenced Hitchcock. "Remous" is a masterpiece thanks to its main theme, the husband's impotence after a car accident, his wife having an affair with an athletic handsome man. Very few dialogues replaced by glances and a lot of visual shooting (cinematography by Roger Hubert, who worked on so many great movies like "les Enfants du Paradis"). Quite indecent at the time, a must see.