Méphisto (1931) - Seeing a baby-faced Jean Gabin in a weird serial

Should you sit through all four hours of this? Only if you really love 1930s French history or want to see Jean Gabin before he became the coolest man in cinema. Most people will probably find it way too slow and the audio is pretty rough in spots. But for fans of weird, old-school detective stories, it’s got a certain charm that you don't see anymore.

The whole thing kicks off at a wedding, which is always a bad sign in these movies. A girl gets kidnapped, a count is miserable, and this villain named Méphisto shows up looking like he’s wearing a very expensive bedsheet.

It’s based on a book by Arthur Bernède. He’s the guy who wrote Belphégor, so you know it’s going to be full of secret passages and people looking through peepholes.

The Young Inspector

The biggest draw here is Jean Gabin. He plays Inspector Bellegarde. He doesn't have that weary, tough-guy face yet. He’s almost pretty here, which feels wrong if you've seen his later stuff.

He spends a lot of time looking at clues with a very serious face. You can tell he’s still figuring out how to act for a camera that barely moves. Sometimes he just stands there for a beat too long before saying his line.

The pacing is all over the place. Because it was a serial, it feels like it restarts every twenty minutes. One scene will be super intense, and then the next is just people sitting in a parlor talking about documents for ten minutes straight.

I found myself staring at the backgrounds more than the actors. The old French houses and the dusty streets feel so real. It’s like a time machine that smells like old paper.

There’s a bit where Méphisto is sneaking around and the music gets really loud for no reason. It made me jump, but not because it was scary. It was just loud.

Strange Moments

• The mask Méphisto wears is actually kind of creepy in the dark shots.
• There is a lot of dramatic pointing. Like, a lot.
• The way people drink wine in this movie makes me thirsty.
• Jean Gabin’s hair stays perfect even when he’s running.

If you've seen The Face in the Fog, you kind of know what to expect. It’s that same vibe of "who is the guy in the mask?" but with more French accents and better suits.

The plot gets really messy near the middle. I honestly lost track of who was related to who. There are so many characters with similar hats that it gets confusing if you aren't paying close attention.

One reaction shot of the bride lingers so long it becomes funny. She just stares into the distance while the villain is clearly standing three feet away. It’s great.

It’s not exactly a masterpiece of pacing. But there’s something about the way it’s shot—very stiff and formal—that makes the weirdness stand out more.

The movie gets noticeably better when they stop trying to explain the mystery and just let Gabin walk around looking concerned. He has this way of holding a cigarette that already looks iconic.

Is it better than A Diplomatic Mission? Maybe not in terms of action. But it has way more atmosphere.

The ending feels a bit rushed after all that buildup. You spend hours waiting for a big reveal and then it just... happens. I wasn't even mad, I was just glad to finally know who was under the hood.

It’s a dusty, crackly, overly long piece of pulp. I kind of loved it for being so unapologetically dramatic. If you have a rainy afternoon and some coffee, give it a shot just for the vibes.

Just don't expect it to make total sense. Real life doesn't always make sense either, right?