DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Pour un soir..! remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a massive crush on 1930s cinema or if you are specifically digging into the filmography of Jean Gabin. If you want a tight, punchy narrative, keep walking. You’ll probably hate this if you get bored by static camera setups or dialogue that sounds like it’s being read off a chalkboard.
It’s the kind of movie where the plot is thinner than a piece of deli ham. You have your classic music hall setup, a bit of jealousy, and people shouting in French about things that barely matter by the third act. It’s not bad, it’s just… really, really quiet in that weird way old films are.
Watching Jean Gabin here is like seeing a young athlete before they learn how to actually play the game. He’s got the posture, sure, but he’s still feeling his way through the scenes. He isn't the gravelly, world-weary guy from Fun in the Barracks or his later hits yet. He’s just a kid in a suit trying not to blink too much.
There is this one scene—I don’t even remember the context, probably just someone getting mad at someone else—where the silence lasts for about five seconds too long. It wasn’t artistic. It was just the sound guy forgetting to cut the tape, I bet. Classic.
Sometimes, the film reminds me of Let Us Be Gay in its desperation to keep the energy up, but it just falls flat. It’s not trying to be deep or academic, which is actually kind of refreshing. It’s just trying to exist.
The whole thing feels like a stage play where they forgot to take the curtain down. It’s charming, in a dusty, forgotten-in-the-attic sort of way. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece. Expect a Tuesday afternoon in 1931. 🎞️