Pépé Le Moko

Julien Duvivier directs Jean Gabin in the title role of Henri la Barthe’s novel of the same name, in this classic from the Golden Age of French cinema.

We embark on an emotion-soaked thrill ride with Jean Gabin’s Jean, a charming Parisian gangster on the run and currently holed up in an Algerian Casbah; immune from the jurisdiction of the French Police that hunt him but not from falling for beautiful Parisian tourist, Gaby (Mireille Balin).
Jean Gabin’s seminal role pulsates with energy and the nuance that plague a nostalgic fugitive, as he stumbles into love and one last desperate adventure for a girl he’s known less than 24 hours.

A poignant adaptation of Barthe’s novel, establishing itself as the archetypal film-noir (despite the genre having yet to be coined) and drawing on themes and motifs as Shakespearean as they come.

Duvivier’s film was in danger of extinction once the producer of the Hollywood remake 'Algiers' (1938) attempted to destroy every existing print. Thankfully he failed and the film has gone on to influence filmmakers and writers worldwide, notably serving as inspiration for Graham Greene’s novel 'The Third Man'.

‘One of the most exciting and moving films I can remember seeing’ – Graham Greene