Le Jour Se Leve

Marcel Carné's (Le Quai des Brumes, L'Air de Paris) award-winning classic, Le Jour se lève, is the story of a factory worker who recalls the events that led him to commit a crime of passion and hide out in his apartment. Starring Jean Gabin as François, the man who commits a crime to free the women he loves from the oppression of another man, and Arletty as Clara, a seductive femme fatale.

The film begins with a violent encounter between François and Valentin (Jules Berry), and through a series of flashbacks the tale unravels as to the animosity between the two. As the film progresses, a story about a complex love triangle between François and two female characters, begins to materialise.

Le Jour se lève is one of the best achievements of the collaboration between director Carné and scriptwriter Jacques Prévert. The story of obsessive sexuality and murder, in a distinctly film noir style, particularly solidified Carné's position as one of the principle exponents of French poetic realism.

With a masterfully constructed narrative and supreme performances, particularly from Gabin (La Grande Illusion) and Arletty, Le Jour se lève builds up to a fantastic crescendo that won't leave audiences disappointed.

After suffering a torrid history, where the film was banned in 1940 by the Vichy government and later suppressed by Hollywood studio RKO to make way for the Henry Fonda remake The Long Night, Le Jour se lève eventually found the recognition it deserved as a classic piece of French Cinema. A position it thankfully still holds to this day.

Brought to you by Chez Gérard.

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