Fernandel in Les bleus de la marine: A chaotic romp through mistaken identities

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s slapstick and the sheer, magnetic absurdity of Fernandel, you’ll probably have a decent time. If you get annoyed by movies that rely entirely on 'everyone is stupid except the protagonists' logic, then steer clear.

This is a movie for a rainy Sunday when you don’t want to think too hard. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it’s mostly just an excuse for Fernandel to act like a total goofball.

The Setup

Lafraise and Plumard are just trying to get away from a patrol in Toulon. They hop a train, get mistaken for big-wigs, and suddenly they're being served fancy meals. It’s the kind of premise that makes you wonder how these guys didn’t get caught in the first five minutes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Les bleus de la marine (1934) through its definitive frames.

Fernandel is, as expected, the whole show. He has this way of stretching his face that makes even the most predictable joke land. You can tell the script is basically just a scaffold for him to do his thing.

Odd Moments and Observations

• The train sequences feel like they last forever, but in a weirdly cozy way.
• The bit where they try to mimic official behavior is pure chaos. It’s funny because they don't even try to be convincing.
• There’s a scene involving a speech that is just painful to watch, but in the best way possible.
• The ending is exactly what you think it is. No surprises there.

Watching this made me think a bit about I Thank You. Both films rely so heavily on that specific brand of 'what could possibly go wrong' comedy. It’s a very different vibe from something more somber like Le rebelle, which is a bit of a tonal whiplash if you’re doing a marathon.

The pacing is a bit all over the place. Sometimes it sprints, and sometimes it just stops to let a joke breathe for way too long. The hold at the end is a bit of a downer, but honestly? They had it coming.

It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to make you chuckle. And sometimes, that's enough. ⚓️