Mireille (1934) review - A dusty, sweaty trip to old Provence

You should probably skip Mireille unless you have a weird obsession with old French poetry or just want to see what the Camargue region looked like before tourists ruined it. It is a pretty tough watch for anyone expecting a normal story, but if you like dusty, slow-moving folklore, there is a strange charm here. 🌾

The plot is basically your standard "rich girl loves poor boy" setup. Her name is Mireille, and she wants Vincent, a guy who weaves baskets for a living.

Naturally, her dad wants her to marry some rich guy who works with bulls. It is all very dramatic, but everyone moves and talks so slow.

Honestly, the outdoor shots are the main reason to even stay awake. You get these massive, empty fields and lots of sheep.

At one point, the camera just stares at a herd of sheep for what feels like three minutes. I think the director just forgot to yell cut, or maybe he really, really liked sheep.

The whole vibe reminds me of the simple-minded country drama in The Boob, but without any of the intentional comedy. Everything in this movie is taken very seriously.

The sound is a total mess, too. There is this constant hissing noise in the background, like someone is frying bacon right next to the microphone during every take.

And the music! It just blares over the dialogue sometimes, making it hard to hear what the poor basket weaver is even saying.

But Mireille herself, played by Mireille Lurie, has this incredibly intense stare. She does not do much actual acting, but she can look very sad while looking at a swamp. 🐊

If you have seen silent melodramas like Man, Woman and Sin, you already know how these tragic romances usually go. This one adds talking and regional singing, but it does not really make the plot move any faster.

The ending is supposed to be this big, emotional peak. Instead, it mostly just feels like a very long walk in the hot sun where someone gets a headache.

Odd things I noticed:

• The guy playing the rival bull-handler looks about thirty years older than Mireille, which makes their potential matchup feel super creepy.
• Vincent's straw hat is ridiculously small. I have no idea how it stays on his head.
• There is a random folk dancing scene that goes on for so long you start to wonder if you accidentally changed the channel.

It is a weird little relic of French cinema. Not exactly great, but I am glad I watched it once just to see the windy trees.