La beauté du diable

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.

Though I'm french, I am not a fan of french movies which I usually find boring or too intellectual ( in a pejorative way ).

This being said, I've always liked this movie, greatly because of the incredible performance of Michel Simon, undoubtedly one of the greatest french actors ever. His portrayal of Mephistopheles is delightful in every way. He leaves but little place to the other actors ( mostly Gerard Philippe the avatar of the romantic actor, playing young Faust having sold his soul to the devil ).

In an era where special effects where about non existent, Rene Clair managed to make a really witty comedy about the meaning of life.

Astonishing to see how certain movies, no matter how old they are, remain entertaining. This is definitely one of them.

A must see ! Should you like it, try Belles de Jour from Rene Clair too, another witty romantic old times french comedy. You'll be pleased.

Technically very well-made, with excellent performances by Michel Simon and Gérard Philippe- the rest of the cast is pretty forgettable. But somehow it sags in the middle and it all seems rather superficial and distant. You don't engage with the characters. The dialogue is too literary for modern tastes and the court scenes with their dances and music just fill up time. Smooth entertainment but it could have been much more gripping. I find Clair's next film, also with Gérard Philippe, funnier and better constructed.

Ah!my beauty past compare these jewels!

René Clair movies are ,in my humble opinion,among the least interesting of the old cinema:Duvivier,Carné ,Renoir,Pagnol,Clouzot and Grémillon are much more exciting.Even the so-called masterpieces such as "le million"(1931) or "quatorze juillet" fail to excite me.In America ,Clair made a valuable adaptation of Christie's "and then were none ,but I'm not sure he was the right director for that.Returning to France ,he released "le silence est d'or' which I personally find unpleasant ,and then "la beauté du diable".

"La beauté du diable" would be interesting,were it only for Michel Simon's sensational portrayal of Mephisto and handsome Gerard Philippe,although very good, is sometimes dwarfed by the old lion of the French cinema.The lines are sometimes witty and hints at the atomic bomb reflect the greatest fear of the era.Simone Valere,Jean Desailly's wife ,as the princess,finds here one of her rare good screen parts -she mainly worked on stage-

That said,Jacques Tourneur made a much better job with the devil in "la main du diable" ,which is the real granddaddy of "Rosemary's baby" or "Angel heart".

Gerard Philippe was to be featured in two Clair's subsequent works ,two overrated works ,"belles de nuit" and "les grandes manoeuvres" ,and alas,sans Michel Simon.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by Rene Clair; Produced by Salvo D'Angelo. A French-Italian co-production, released in America by Arthur Davis Associates. Screenplay by Rene Clair and Armand Salacrou; Photography by Michel Kelber; Camera by Gianni Di Venanzo; Edited by James Cuenet; Music by Roman Vlad; Assistant Director: Michel Boisrond. Starring: Michel Simon, Gerard Philipe, Simone Valere, Nicole Besnard, Carlo Ninchi, Raymond Cordy, Paolo Stoppa

Brilliant Clair revamping of the Faust myth, with Simon excelling as the Devil and Gerard the perfect romantic hero. Clair utilizes excellent special effects and ingeniously stylish gags in this ironic tale. Voluptuous Simone Valere not only delivers some white nightgown action, but also flashes some well-revealed supersize jugs.