La Crise Est Finie: A musical time capsule that still works

Is it worth your time?

If you like old French musicals and don’t mind a movie that skips along without worrying too much about logic, then yes, put this on. You’ll probably hate it if you need a story that hits hard or a plot that makes sense in the real world. It’s light, it’s bubbly, and it smells faintly of 1930s cigarette smoke and stage dust.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La crise est finie (1934) through its definitive frames.

Albert Préjean is doing that thing where he looks like he’s having the best day of his life, even when he’s broke. You know the type. He just carries the screen.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La crise est finie (1934) through its definitive frames.

Then there’s Danielle Darrieux. She’s honestly the whole reason this thing holds together. There is this one sequence where she’s just trying to navigate a cramped apartment, and the way she moves makes the whole room feel like it’s dancing. It’s effortless.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La crise est finie (1934) through its definitive frames.

The plot is basically: people are sad because money is tight, so they decide to put on a show to fix everything. It’s the kind of logic only movies from the 30s can pull off without getting laughed out of the room. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Broadway Bubble, though this is definitely lighter on its feet.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La crise est finie (1934) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is… well, it moves. Sometimes it moves too fast, like it’s afraid you’re going to notice the sets are just plywood. There’s a scene in a café that goes on forever, but I didn’t really mind because the background extras are clearly just having a blast. One guy in the back keeps trying to steal a bread roll and never quite manages it. I spent five minutes just watching him.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La crise est finie (1934) through its definitive frames.

It’s not trying to be a deep dive into the human condition. Thank god for that. It’s just trying to make you smile for an hour. Sometimes that’s enough.

Random notes from my notebook:

• The lighting in the rehearsal scenes is surprisingly sharp.
• I wish someone would tell the drummer to relax just a tiny bit.
• The ending is telegraphed about forty minutes early, but the song makes up for it.
• Is it just me, or does everyone in Paris during this movie wear a hat at all times?

It isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s got a heartbeat. You can feel the cast working to keep the energy up, and mostly, they succeed. It’s a nice little relic, honestly. Definitely better than the slog you get in Orientexpress. At least here, people are singing.

Don't expect to be changed by it. Just expect to be in a better mood when the credits roll. That’s a win in my book. 🎶