Suzanne (1932) review: A messy, sweaty French marriage drama

Look, unless you're a massive nerd for early French talkies, you can probably skip Suzanne (1932). 🤷‍♂️

It is a pretty rough sit, honestly. If you want a happy romantic movie, you will absolutely hate this depressing marriage drag.

But if you like watching people ruin their lives because they just can't stand each other, well, welcome to the party.

The whole thing is about this married couple who are basically oil and water. She wants her independence—like, badly—and he is just a total brute who thinks shouting solves everything.

There is this one scene where they're arguing in a cramped room, and you can practically smell the stale cigarette smoke and desperation. It's almost too real.

Raymond Rouleau plays one of the main roles here. He actually co-directed this too, though the credits is always a bit messy on these old obscure films.

His character is just... exhausting to be around. He has this heavy, early-sound era gloom where everyone looks slightly sweaty, kinda like the vibe in Shadow of the Law.

Actually, Pauline Carton shows up in a minor role. She's always a treat, even when she's just hovering in the background looking judgingly at everyone. 😂

The script by Steve Passeur has some sharp teeth, but the sound quality on the print I watched was so scratchy. It felt like listening to a ghost whisper through a screen door.

Sometimes the camera just sits there, staring at a wall for three seconds after a character leaves the frame. Did they forget to cut? Probably.

If you've seen A Woman of Experience, you know how these early 30s domestic dramas can get bogged down in their own misery.

This one doesn't really have a big, satisfying climax. It just sort of... stops.

Like the characters ran out of energy to fight, and the cameraman ran out of film. I didnt hate it, but I won't be putting it on at my next dinner party, that's for sure.

Odd little things I noticed:

• The way Jean-Max holds his cigarettes is incredibly aggressive, like he's trying to choke the tobacco.
• A dog barks in the distance during a quiet emotional scene, and nobody bothered to redo the take.
• The wallpaper in their apartment is so ugly it should be illegal.

Anyway, it is a weird relic. Watch it if you're bored and want to feel better about your own relationship status.