Knock

In 1923 the French writer Jules Romains wrote "Knock ou le triomphe de la médecine", a satyrical play about the medicine.On 15th of December 1923 the play was played in Paris for the first time; Louis Jouvet was in charge of the staging and the decoration and was also the main actor. In 1925 the French director René Hervil directs "Knock" with Fernand Fabre as main actor.Then in 1933 a second film called "Knock" directed by Roger Goupillières with Louis Jouvet as main actor. And now in 1951 "Knock" directed by Guy Lefranc with Louis Jouvet as main actor. In France there have been very good actors who can play sarcastic and manipulating roles such as Paul Meurisse or Bernard Blier but maybe the best French actor for playing the main role of Knock is without any doubt Louis Jouvet.In this film Louis Jouvet shows how a false doctor can manipulate the people of a village where before nobody was sick or ill. I enjoyed very much this film for the hudge performance of Louis Jouvet.

This film has a funny premise but wastes it with endless comedy characters that are never funny. The film is way too talky and just gets boring. You will be willing it to finish.

Dr Louis Jouvet (Dr Knock) takes over as a village doctor and he tells everybody who visits him that they are all ill, thus stimulating the immediate economy around him, eg, pharmacy for medicine and hotelier for sick-bed rentals. He also gets plenty of doctor fees in the process.

So much more could have been made of the idea but the film settles on the philosophical path of how easy it is for one man to control everybody, even those who don't initially believe in him. That is ok as a message but it could have been delivered by taking the audience down two better paths - it could have been funnier or it could have been scarier. Our main doctor Louis Jouvet certainly has a creepy vibe about him.

What we get, I'm afraid, is the French equivalent of those stupid British Ealing comedies that are never funny.

There is a lot of give and take involved in the medical profession. Firstly,pharmaceutical companies need continual support from doctors in order to get their medicines approved by them.Secondly,doctors need patients who would make them and these pharmaceuticals companies rich.Finally,there are ordinary folks like you and me who are continually getting fooled by some fake doctors into believing that all is not well with our health.Hypochondriacs are a troubled lot as not only they make their lives uneasy but also of those around them.It is precisely this effect which was captured in 1923 by famous French dramatist Jules Romains in his satirical play Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine.After its immense success,it was director's Guy Lefranc's chance to popularize it further by directing a film based on this satire.Thanks to great actor Louis Jouvet's powerful performances as a cunning quack,'Dr.Knock' was able to convince the denizens of a small town that the healthy are people who do not know that they are sick.The film 'Dr.Knock' was an immense box office success in France largely due to its witty dialogues which led everybody to doubt the state of affairs related to their personal health.According to his film,the biggest blow to a real doctor was received when a clever charlatan was able to convince a genuine yet naive doctor of his bad health.Lastly,it is high time one continues with self medication.

A good occasion to remind the admirable art of Louis Jouvet. And a great option for pandemic time. A respectable doctor remplaced by a smart crook. An entire canton transfomed in large hospital. A prosperous business to make the other belief he is ill. And the profound feeling to live in the skin of this theater play today. Short, a great demonstration of the genius of Louis Jouvet , a portrait, very realistic, of fear and addiction of the medic and the fair, almost expected triumf of medical tirany. The high need to be lied. That is all.

Little known, this movie can be read at different levels. A testimony of its time, with the depiction of how was seen life in 1923 in the fifties. The "medical ages" corresponding with the science domination over the 20th century.

But, and above all, this is a satirical comedy, showing the power of manipulation and propaganda. It uses an unusual way, the medicine, to show how someone can change its community using its specific position and power. An finally, Louis Jouvet gave us a huge performance, being of every scene.

A good find!