Topaze (1936): Being good is exhausting

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have patience for black-and-white French films where half the runtime is just people sitting in chairs arguing about money, you’ll dig this. It’s for the folks who prefer their humor dry as a bone and their protagonists fundamentally spineless. If you need a movie where the good guy saves the day and stays pure, you are going to absolutely hate Topaze. Seriously, don't bother.

The film opens with this incredibly stifling classroom setting. You can practically smell the chalk dust and the sheer misery of the students. Topaze is this quintessential pushover. He’s the kind of guy who says 'thank you' to the person who just insulted him. It’s painful to watch, honestly.

The turning point

There’s this moment when he’s fired for having too much integrity. You’d think he’d be crushed, but it’s more like the sudden realization that the world is a scam. Watching him transition from a mopey teacher to a shark in a suit? It’s a slow burn. Maybe a bit too slow at times. I caught myself checking my phone during the second act, but then he says something so cold it snaps you right back in. 🥶

• The way the light hits his glasses when he decides to go rogue? Perfect.
• The supporting cast acts like they’ve been in a room together for twenty years. No wasted motion.
• Sometimes the camera just stays on a face for a few seconds too long. It feels intrusive, but in a good way.

It’s not as manic as Let's Make a Dream, which Pagnol also touched, but it’s got this weirdly sharp edge. Pagnol isn't interested in making you like Topaze. He’s interested in showing you how easily a moral compass can just… snap off.

I was reminded of the way people talk in those old silent shorts like A Quiet Street, but here the words are the weapons. Everyone is trying to outsmart everyone else. It’s exhausting just listening to them. But hey, that’s life, right?

The ending isn't a punchline. It’s a shrug. It doesn’t try to teach you a lesson or wrap things up with a neat little bow. It just stops. It leaves you feeling a bit dirty, which is probably exactly what the director wanted. 🖋️