Le bal (1931) Review: A Mean Little Comedy About Social Climbing

Is Le bal worth watching today? Honestly, yeah, especially if you enjoy watching people make fools of themselves for the sake of clout. It’s perfect for anyone who likes those stories where the rich are actually just miserable and tacky. If you can't stand old movies with slightly fuzzy audio or black-and-white cinematography that flickers a bit, you’ll probably hate it. 🥂

The movie starts with the Kampf family. They are just... normal. They live in a cramped place, they worry about bills, and they seem mostly happy. Then a huge inheritance hits. Suddenly, they aren't just rich; they are nouveaux riches. And man, they lean into it hard.

Alfred and Edith (the parents) are desperate. They want the 'Tout-Paris'—the cool kids of the 1930s aristocracy—to like them. They decide to throw a ball. It’s their big debut. They spend so much money on invitations and decorations that it feels like they’re trying to buy a new soul.

The mom, played by Marguerite Pierry, is a lot. She is constantly fussing over her hair and her dress. There is this one scene where she is looking in the mirror and you can see her trying to look 'noble.' She just looks like she has a stiff neck. It’s funny but also a little sad.

But the real reason to watch this is Antoinette. She is the daughter. Danielle Darrieux was only like 14 when they filmed this. She is incredible. You can see the pure, unadulterated teenage rage in her eyes when her mom tells her she has to stay in her room during the ball. 😡

Antoinette isn't just a victim, though. She’s kind of a brat, but a smart one. When she is told to mail the invitations, she decides to take a little detour. I won't say what happens, but let's just say the post office doesn't see those envelopes. It is such a petty move. I loved every second of it.

The pacing is a bit weird. It feels like a stage play sometimes. People walk into a room, say their lines, and walk out. It’s not as fluid as La nuit est à nous, which came out around the same time. But the dialogue is sharp. It’s based on a book by Irène Némirovsky, and you can feel that literary bite in the insults.

I noticed the house they move into is almost too big for them. They look lost in it. There’s a scene where the dad, André Lefaur, is sitting in this giant chair and he looks like a toddler. He’s got this mustache that is way too wide for his face. It’s distracting. I spent five minutes just wondering how he trimmed it.

There is a piano player who shows up later. He just sits there. He looks like he’d rather be anywhere else on earth. I felt for that guy. Most of the extras at the 'party' look like they were pulled off the street and told to look bored. It works, though, because the whole point is that these aristocrats don't actually want to be there.

The ending is very abrupt. Like, the movie just decides it’s over. It doesn't give you a big moral lesson or a hug. It just shows you the wreckage of a family’s ego. It’s much more cynical than something like George the Winner. It’s a movie that knows people can be trash.

Small things I caught:

• The way the daughter touches the curtains in the big house like she’s trying to see if they are real.
• The sound of the rain in one scene is so loud it almost drowns out the talking.
• The servant, played by Paulette Dubost, has this look on her face the whole time that says, 'I am smarter than everyone in this room.' She probably is.
• The invitations are written in this really fancy, illegible script. It looks like spiders dipped in ink.

The ball itself is the best part of the movie. Or the worst, depending on how much secondhand embarrassment you can take. The silence in the big room is heavy. You can almost feel the dust settling on the expensive food. It’s a great bit of directing because it makes the viewer feel just as awkward as the parents.

Is it a masterpiece? Probably not. The camera work is pretty standard for 1931. It doesn't have the style of Die Hose. But it’s got a personality. It’s mean, it’s fast, and it doesn't care if you like the characters or not. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

Also, Danielle Darrieux’s hat in the final scenes is wild. It’s tilted at an angle that defies gravity. I don't know how it stayed on her head. 🎩

If you’re looking for a double feature, maybe pair this with A Bird in the Hand. Both have that vibe of people trying to be something they aren't. Le bal is just a bit more successful at being cruel about it. Anyway, it's worth a look if you find a good copy. Just don't expect a happy ending where everyone learns their lesson. They don't.