1h 35min | Crime, Drama | 20 November 1931
Director: Jean Renoir
Stars: Michel Simon, Janie Marèse, Georges Flamant
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021739/
Remade as Scarlet Street (1945) with Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea, which I rated 8.
The early scenes are so similar to Scarlet Street that I wondered if I had seen this one before; I don't think so.
Criterion edition bought on sale, largely because of 2-3 favorite Renoir films, and wanting to see this early sound venture (his 2nd, and his 1st is part of the supplements), and wanting to see more Michel Simon.
I knew Simon first from the Burt Lancaster film The Train ('64). He's one of those great non-handsome actors, like Charles Laughton or Edward G., who convey a lot via their faces/bodies. Here he is mostly expressionless, as on the poster, and you read into that what you imagine he's feeling.
The "prostitute" in this story is not shown plying that trade, so I see no reason to impose it on her character, except that Renoir says she is during an introduction included on the disc, filmed 30 years later. The "pimp" is just another abusive boyfriend who takes her money and/or her possessions, namely MS's paintings.
An interesting brief experiment: in 1 scene of the pro & pimp dancing, Renoir's camera dances with them. It's dizzying, but interesting to imagine how he managed with the bulky equipment of that era.
I don't think the '45 film ends with ER on the streets as we see MS here, but I don't remember how it does end.
The story is engaging, including the twist that MS's wife has a husband who is not so dead as she thought, and the performances are good.
Included on the supplements disc, On purge bébé ('31) is an hour of a couple bickering about their 7-yo needing a laxative, and his refusal to drink mineral oil. MS is a minister in the War office (with no war in progress) visiting the home to discuss the husband's chamber pots for the army. So it's scatology coming and going. I rate this a 5 because it's just unpleasant, not funny.
I didn't get through the 90+ min '67 TV episode with JR & MS discussing their careers together. They clearly adore each other, but I'm not so familiar with either that I want these details today.
Les Établissements Braunberger-Richebé, dir. Renoir; 7
