Summary
England, the early 1900s. Irvin Molyneux is a quiet botanist who secretly writes
gory detective thrillers under the pseudonym Felix Chapel. His books are vehemently
condemned by Irvin’s cousin, Archibald Soper, the Bishop of Bedford. Soper invites
himself to dinner at the Molyneux’s home one evening, but Irvin’s wife is mysteriously
absent. In reality, Madame Molyneux is hiding in the kitchen, replacing her cook
who earlier walked out on her. Molyneux's clumsy attempt to account for the
absence of his wife arouses the bishop's suspicions. When he sees Molyneux mysteriously
leave the house that evening, he contacts Scotland Yard, convinced that his cousin has
murdered his wife. Later, when the Molyneux couple are away from home
and the scrutiny of the press, Irvin Molyneux, as Felix Chapel, is invited to write an
account of the mysterious Molyneux affair on the scene of the presumed murder. Disguised
as Chapel, Molyneux returns to his house, which has been taken over by the police who
are still investigating the alleged crime. He does not realise that the psychopath
William Kramps, the notorious butcher killer, is in the area, determined to kill Felix
Chapel. Meanwhile, the Bishop of Bedford, realising that he has left behind a compromising
magazine during his earlier visit, returns to the Molyneux in disguise...
Review
The second film from the Carné-Prévert collaboration, Drôle de
drame is an extraordinary mix black comedy and farce, quite unlike anything in French
cinema at the time. Although it presents a typically French stereotyped view of
the English, the film makes an intelligent satire of the middle classes, making great
capital out of their little hypocrisies and double standards.
In common with many of Carné’s films, Drôle de drame has an exceptionally
strong cast, including Louis Jouvet, Michel Simon, Françoise Rosay and Jean-Louis
Barrault, all of whom show a remarkable flair for burlesque (and utterly bizarre)
comedy. Indeed, so eccentric are some of the performances that you are left wondering
whether Carné hired his actors exclusively from his local lunatic asylum, or, indeed,
whether the entire film was made in such an establishment. Certainly, those who
are familiar with French cinema of the period are in for something of a surprise when
they watch this film for the first time...
Louis Jouvet is seldom as entertaining as he is in this film, compelled to play the straight
man in a scenario that rapidly escalates into outrageous farce. At the end
of the film, he appears decked out in full Scottish attire, including a kilt (and, for
some reason, dark glasses) - something that has to be seen to be believed.
Jean-Louis Barrault is no less surprising, playing a notorious serial-killer who
is a combination of Don Juan and Jack the Ripper. Barrault is not particularly known
for his comic performances, but here he is criminally entertaining, particularly when
he taunts the cowardly Michel Simon whilst flirting with the aloof Françoise Rosay.
Although the film bears a passing resemblance to René Clair’s extravagant farces
of the early 1930s, the comedy is much more acerbic, tinged with the unique Carné-Prévert
brand of poetic realism. Carné’s later, more serious, films have a
feel of stagy artificiality which can detract from the film’s content. Here, this
matters not one iota - indeed the starched artificiality of the setting only serves to
heighten the film's immense comic impetus.
Drôle de drame is now widely regarded as a classic, although at the time
of its initial release it was poorly received. Black comedy was virtually unheard
of in French cinema at the time, making the film unpalatable to the majority of cinema
goers, and the film's ruthless treatment of the bourgeoisie also probably counted against
it.
© James Travers 2001
See also:
The life of Marcel Carné
Hôtel du nord
Quai des brumes
Le Jour se lève
Les Visiteurs du soir
Les Enfants du paradis
Buy films by Marcel Carné
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