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Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale Period Drama Supernatural Fantasy Sword & Sorcery Tragedy Drama Fantasy Romance

In medieval France, the Devil intervenes when one of his two envoys, sent to seduce and deceive mortals, falls instead for a victim.In medieval France, the Devil intervenes when one of his two envoys, sent to seduce and deceive mortals, falls instead for a victim.In medieval France, the Devil intervenes when one of his two envoys, sent to seduce and deceive mortals, falls instead for a victim.

Director
- Marcel Carné
Writers
- Jacques Prévert
- Pierre Laroche
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

2.5K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Marcel Carné
Writers
- Jacques Prévert
- Pierre Laroche
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Trivia
This film was shot while the Nazis were occupying France. Its director faced a number of difficulties in making it. It premiered on December 4, 1942. It was one of the biggest film events during the war. It was called "the grandest film of the Occupation." One of the reasons that the film was such a huge success was the rumor that the film was an allegory. Many people saw the character of the Devil as representing Hitler and the continued beating hearts of the lovers as representing France living under German rule. Until his death in 1996 the director, Marcel Carné, denied any intended hidden messages.

Quotes
Dominique - un ménestrel: Men have loved me, as they like to whisper in my ear. I let them. Is it my fault if they wept, gave everything for me, even their lives? The young men were passionate; the old men crawled at my feet.
Gilles - un ménestrel: When did I ever cry or throw myself at your feet?
Dominique - un ménestrel: [snorts] You're different - greedy, stubborn, proud. You just want to be loved, to take without giving, to keep it all and leave.
Gilles - un ménestrel: Like you!
Dominique - un ménestrel: You hunted me like a cat hunts a mouse - but we're both cats, there is no mouse. It's not our fault. We both thought we'd caught a tender new victim... two executioners, face to face and no one to torture. How sad.

Crazy credits
The opening credits are shown as pages of an illuminated book with a gloved hand turning each page over.

Connections
Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: La monnaie de l'absolu (1999)

Soundtracks
Complainte de Gilles
Music by Maurice Thiriet
Lyrics by Jacques Prévert
Performed by Jacques Jansen

User reviews16

Featured review

7/10

Great, fascinating tale

A relatively little-known but fascinating movie. Made during the German occupation of France, the film is set in the Late Middle Ages and deals with two envoys of the devil, Gilles and Dominique (Alain Cuny and Arletty, wonderful both) that arrive posing as wandering minstrels at the castle of a Baron where preparations for an upcoming wedding are being made. Their intention is to create havoc by breaking the hearts of all involved. These envoys have extraordinary powers to achieve these goals, like slowing time to a stop so that they can work on their targets at ease. Eventually, the very devil shows up at the castle in disguise. One can argue that the devil in the movie stands for Hitler and the Nazis and so forth, but the film works even if you don't try to watch it as a metaphor for the contemporary events of the time. The movie is memorable and evocative, with many great scenes and a great ending.