Le dernier tournant

Suggested by the infamous Snyder/Gray murder case with a plot derived from Zola's 'Therese Raquin', James M. Cain's potboiler 'The Postman always rings twice' was recognised as a classic of its type on publication and within twelve years had been thrice adapted for film. Unusually all three have merit and are also linked in one way or another.

First off the block is this version by Pierre Chenal which despite its budgetary and technical constraints is an excellent example of French Film Noir as well as being extraordinarily faithful to the original. Although the chemistry between Fernand Gravet, better known for his lighter roles and the enigmatic, ill-fated Corinne Luchaire is palpable, director Chenal has eschewed the erotic element and in keeping with Michel Simone's star status has enlarged the role of the inconvenient husband so as to make the character more rounded. Of course one can never have enough of this magnificent actor. The lion tamer is played by Madame Chenal, the luscious Czech-born Florence Marly whilst inveterate scene-stealer Robert le Vigan excels as the blackmailer.

It is to be lamented that the film has been doomed to obscurity which no doubt stems from its being banned twice, once by the Nazi censor because of Chenal being Jewish and again by the French as le Vigan had been found guilty of collaboration and decamped to South America whilst Luchaire was sentenced in 1946 to ten years of 'dégradation nationale' and her father executed for their pro-Vichy sympathies. Luchaire did not live to complete her sentence as she succumbed to TB at twenty-eight.

Ironically it was being given a French translation of Cain's novel by Jean Renoir that prompted Visconti to make his first masterpiece 'Ossessione'. The subject matter plus its earthy sensuality proved too much for the Fascist authorities and it was furthermore prevented by Copyright issues from being shown in America until 1976! Cain died in 1977 and one wonders if he ever got to view it.

The Hollywood version directed by Tay Garnet has fared best of all in the public's consciousness and unsurprisingly the film's star Lana Turner dismissed Bob Rafelson's no holds barred version from 1981 as 'pornographic trash'.

Rootless Fernand Gravey bums a meal off gas station/cafe owner Michel Simon. Simon takes a liking to him and offers him a job handling the pumps at night. Gravey isn't interested until he sees Simon's wife, Corinne Luchaire. Soon they are hot and heavy with each other, and start to think about killing the clueless, disgusting Simon.

It's the first movie version of James M. Cain's THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, and it's far more frank about what's going on and the weakness of Gravey and Luchaire. Simon plays one of his monsters, a man who disgusts his wife, whines, and loves everyone indiscriminately. Charles Spaak's script is capably brought to the screen by Pierre Chenal.

The first of the four versions of "postman always rings twice" is not uninteresting.Its main asset is Michel Simon's presence:he was one of the greatest French actors ever and he easily outshines Fernand Gravey and Corinne Luchaire as the lovers and all the other actors who would take on the hubby's part.It does not cut,however,Visconti's version and even Tay Garnett's in my humble opinion;on the other hand ,I've always thought that the Rafelson Nicholsonesque version was overblown and the weakest of the lot.

Pierre Chenal would never equal this success:the end of his career never finds back the noir atmosphere of his pre-war movies."La foire aux Chimères" ,his chef d'oeuvre, was a different matter.

For all those who have cars, please drive carefully and not like the lunatic that is Fernand Gravey (Frank) in this film. He is an unpleasant drifter who arrives at an isolated petrol station and stays on to help with the business on the request of owner Michel Simon (Nick). Simon is lonely and wants a friend to talk to. He has a much younger attractive wife - Corinne Luchaire (Cora) - but that doesn't count for company does it! The only reason Gravey accepts this offer is because of the much younger attractive wife. I think we can see trouble brewing....

The cast are good apart from Gravey who is not good at all in the lead role mainly due to his unpleasant nature. You just cannot relate to him and he doesn't seem to be able to produce any acting nuances that could help build tension. He's just a straightforward arse-hole.

The language in this film is funny as the dialogue is very direct. These people say what they feel - ha ha. My wife particularly enjoyed the lines as spoken by Luchaire when she tells Gravey that she is beginning to like him less and less. I hear this on a regular basis!

We get a body count that seems disproportionately high given the number of characters we are introduced to. The introduction of judge Marcel Vallée and the blackmailing cousin Robert Le Vigan add to the tension as they both have suspicions about the actions of Gravey and Luchaire. The film unfolds as a tragedy and is an enjoyable first run of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'.

Le Dernier Tournant is the first film adaptation of the classic James M. Cain novel. Like all of the adaptations (especially Ossessione) which followed, Le Dernier Tournant probably takes more time to watch, even at ninety minutes, than the Cain novel would to read. The Postman Always Rings Twice is one fast paced novel. It is a slim text that grabs a reader and propels him through in no time. One of the reasons for this is Cain's hardboiled narration. Strangely, none of the adaptations have made much use of Cain's narration.

Despite this, Le Dernier Tournant follows Cain's plot closely. The investigation is altered, but the end result is the same in both novel and film. In addition, all of the actors turn in good performances. Corinne Luchaire has an earthy beauty that is a nice contrast to the more glamorous actresses who have played the role (Lana Turner, Jessica Lange), and she fills out a sweater well. The direction is seldom flashy, but it tells the story economically. There are a handful of well done scenes. Particularly effective are the murder attempts, climaxing with the haunting use of an echo.

Le Dernier Tournant is no forgotten masterpiece, just a solid 1930's melodrama. It's still a far cry from the James M. Cain novel though.