Summary
Odette, an attractive young woman, arrives in the fishing town of Saint-Brieuc in Brittany
and becomes the mistress of Jock, the owner of the local inn. Jealous of this new
intrusion, Jock's waitress Mimi starts to visit a bankrupt aristocrat, Julien, who
lives the life of a hermit in his old family castle. To tease Mimi, Odette flirts
with Julien (known to the locals as "White Paws" because of his white gaiters), but Julien
falls in love with Odette. When he learns this news, Julien's embittered half-brother
Maurice sees an opportunity to have his revenge against the family that disowned him.
On the night of Odette's marriage to Jock, Maurice contrives to get Odette and Julien
together - with tragic consequences...
Review
Jean Grémillon’s adaptation of Jean Anouilh’s stage play gives the director another
opportunity to combine the themes of tragic romance and anti-Bourgeois sentiment which
predominate in his work. Whilst Pattes blanches is generally an engaging
piece of cinema, it lacks the impact and directness of Grémillon's earlier achievements
and was not a great commercial success. The main reason for this partial failure
was probably the fact that Grémillon was called in at the very last moment to direct
the film when Anouilh realised he was not up to the job himself.
Although strong on atmosphere
and characterisation, the film is weakened by its lack of focus and an awkward melange
of styles. The exterior location scenes suggest a neo-realist style which is largely
absent in the studio scenes. Also, the haphazardly shifting focus between the five
principal characters is uncomfortable, robbing the film of emotional impact, in spite
of an impressive set of acting performances. Suzy Delair is at the height of her
powers as the seductive femme fatale, whilst Michel Bouquet (in one of his earliest film
appearances) conveys pure spite and cynicism in his striking portrayal of the outsider,
Maurice.
The film includes a number
of unforgettable set pieces which show Grémillon at his creative best.
There is first and foremost the harrowing night scene where Odette attempts vainly to
return to her husband on their wedding night (the bleakness of the location contrasting
vividly with the gaiety of the music being hammered out at the party). Then there
is the sombre scene near the end of the film where the crippled Mimi returns to Julien
and for a brief moment or two lives the fairy tale for which has yearned, a rare moment
of cinematic brilliance.
© James Travers 2002
|
