Review of Pépé le Moko (1937) by Kevin N — 01 Sep 2010

A super cool mish-mash involving cues from the American gangster movie but done up in a purely French way and peppered with signature Gabin style. Duvivier has a wonderful set of taste buds for that kind of elusive cocktail that has perfect parts style and substance, and here he gives us one of the most involving settings of the period and litters it with a whole array of interesting characters.

Jean Gabin is the main attraction, but the entire cast gives bravado performances; I always love to see Gaston Modot, a unique actor who usually plays the dirtiest of the characters on screen at any given moment- and he does it well.

In contrast to other noteworthy French films of the decade (by Renoir, Carne, et al.), Duvivier seems to want to give us an escapist tease. Though the film inevitably ends tragically (anyone who knows anything about Gabin's career should be well prepared) the director treats us to a place where there are no rules, and pleasure runs rampant in the streets.

The whole thing evokes a kind of dream logic, and the film goes so far as to give Gabin a musical number. It makes for a good juxtaposition, and provides a viewing experience both fantastical and cold.