Jean Grémillon

But what's extraordinary is the obvious connection with Gremillon's later work "Pattes Blanches" (1947): the murder of the bad girl (Suzy Delair) by Maurice (Michel Bouquet) on the cliff,and the white bride veil. The director himself confessed he never liked its follow -up "Pour Un sou D' Amour ",not exactly class struggle. Both his Spanish movies sank without a trace "La Dolorosa" was a musical where they sing every ten minutes ;his collaboration with Luis Bunuel seemed unworthy of both men's talent :"It is odd that Luis Bunuel singled out the uninspired but decidedly above-average melodrama" (Mario Gauci).

"Le Ciel est A Vous" (1943)was a beautiful movie dedicated to daring women,who were feminists ahead of their time ,the story of a woman who wanted to be an aviator. During the Occupation,the Petainist France set this movie up as an example of virtue and courage ,against the dirty Clouzot's "le Corbeau ". After the Liberation,both movies were attacked,the former,for being too Petainist,the latter for showing the darkest side of the occupied country. The post-war years : Grémillon 's career was never the same,although the three movies he made were very interesting. Jean Anouilh who wrote the screenplay was to direct "Pattes Blanches " but he fell sick and had to give up. He chose Jean Grémillon to do the job and he was right: it included moments of desperate lyricism.

"Lumière D'Ete" (1942) pitted the men of leisure against the working class heroes :Although it was a Prévert/Laroche screenplay ,the main influence here was Renoir's. All that concerned Paul Bernard's character and his fete in the castle strongly recalled "La Règle Du Jeu". Probably the center of gravity of the movie ,this memorable sequence of the Farandole - while the tragedy was impending- would find an equivalent in Prévert/Carné's ending of "Les Enfants Du Paradis". Nowadays ,it is generally considered Grémillon's apex.

The making of "Remorques" began in 1939,but because of the occupation ,was released in 1941:the banal plot mattered much less than the atmosphere;the star of the movie was the Ocean:you could hear,feel or see it ceaselessly along the viewing.

The golden years : From "Gueule d'Amour"(1937) onward ,Grémillon would never produce anything mediocre:this 1937 work was the stuff Gabin's legend was made ,his part of a legionnaire who experimented tragedy. "L'Etrange Monsieur Victor" gave Raimu the opportunity to play,masterfully, a part of a criminal.

"La Valse Royale " (1935 ), a French -(Hitlerian) Germany co-production did nothing to rectify Gremilllon 's stature :"light-hearted gallantry" best described this old-fashioned ,poorly written - story with some hints at the French Revolution.

The period of transition : his first talkie " La Petite Lise" (1930)was a melodrama ; the male character was probably inspired by Hugo's Jean Valjean. "Dainah La Métisse " was some kind of murder mystery: did she jump or was she pushed?Probably the latter.

Attended the Paris Schola Cantorum, studying violin and composition. Worked in the orchestra pits of silent film theatres. Directed short documentaries, then feature films from 1924. He was best known for the film Remorques (1941).

His first effort (1923) dealt with Chartres town. Three years later ,came his first feature film "Maldone" ;one of his recurrent features is already here : rebellion against the wealthy classes ,it's the story of a young heir,who favors freedom over possessions. "Gardien De Phare " could be remade today (and its influence appears in some horror movies) :two lighthouse keepers (the father and the son) are to spend one entire month in the middle of the sea near the coasts of Brittany; flashbacks reveal us that the young man has been bitten by a rabid dog.

An educated man,Jean Grémillon (b. 1898) should almost be mentioned in the same breath as the big five of the golden age of the French cinema (Carné,Renoir,Duvivier, Feyder and Clair). Some of his plans never came to anything:for instance ,after WW2 ,only three movies, which is too few,for such a man. The silent years : Grémillon's career began with documentary shorts. . . and ended the same way.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 411-415. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.