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5.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Cette vieille canaille remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old French cinema that feels a bit stagey and stiff, you might find something to like here. If you need pacing, or characters who don't act like they’re in a soap opera, stay far away. It’s definitely a curiosity for people who like to dig through the archives.
Vautier is one of those characters who thinks he’s much smarter than everyone else in the room. He treats his relationship with Hélène like a scientific experiment he can control from the sidelines. Spoiler: you can't really control people like that, even in a 1933 movie.
There’s a specific kind of *stilted energy* to the dialogue that makes me think they were just figuring out sound recording as they went along. You can see the actors waiting for their cues a little too hard. It reminded me a bit of the awkwardness in Le stigmate, where everything feels a bit trapped in its own timeframe.
The whole premise of the 'cool boyfriend' is so flimsy you can practically see right through it. Harry Baur is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. He’s got this intense, brooding presence that makes you wonder why he’s bothering with this nonsense in the first place.
When Trapeau rolls back into town, the movie shifts gears, but not necessarily in a good way. It goes from a weird character study into this frantic, jealous scramble. It’s almost funny how quickly Vautier loses his cool. One minute he's a sophisticated surgeon, the next he's just a guy throwing a tantrum.
There are moments where the film tries to be deep about the 'human condition' or whatever, but it falls flat every time. Honestly, I enjoyed it more when it just focused on the petty, small-scale drama. 🚬
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even that great of a movie. But it’s a real artifact. It feels like someone just turned the camera on and hoped for the best. Sometimes that’s enough to keep me watching until the credits roll, even if I'm checking my watch every ten minutes.
