La belle de nuit

Aime Clariond discovers his wife, Vera Korene, has been carrying on with his best friend, Paul Bernard. He throws her out, and goes on a wanderjahr, where he runs into a street walker, also played by Miss Korene. He decides to use her to exact revenge on the person who has wronged him: Mr. Bernard.

I croggled a bit at that, as if his wife had no hand in his undoing. Director Louis Valray has created a low-level example of poetic realism, with its inherent misogyny. Although that, and the ending were a bit of a surprise - in fact, I hate the ending - Valray has avoided the excesses of poetic realism. The jokes are not those played on the hero by the universe, making everyone miserable. Sometimes they are simple jokes, gags, meant to entertain the audience. They do.

Valray certainly knows how to get his cameraman to move the camera, and how to edit fluidly. It's a pity he never managed to get a contract with a major distributor.