The Strange Monsieur Victor

I saw it back in the 70's at a university film club, thought the acting was excellent, especially Madeleine Renaud and Pierre Blanchar, and then forgot about it for 40 years. Now YouTube has graciously let us see it again (along with scores of other French classics) and it is time for a reappraisal.

I found some awkward moments; Gremillon can't hold back the force of nature that is Raimu--he sputters and wind-mills his arms a few too many times for me. Raimu had carte blanche to do pretty much what he pleased, just as Gabin had, and it could hurt a film's impact. With that said, the other actors do a fine job. Andrex and Georges Flamant as the thieves have the right menace, Viviane Romance is wonderfully sensual (just watch her in the shoe store scene) and Blanchar's unjustly convicted man is a textbook acting job. Gremillon went on to do finer work such as Lumiere d'ete and Remorques.