Les visiteurs du soir (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

Just gorgeous. Loved this movie. The black and white was dazzling, story somewhat predictable, but a pleasure, and the acting fine, although Arletty's acting style seemed identical to her protaginist in "Children of Paradise" (a later Carne film). The young Cuny instantly recognizable (see "la Dolce Vita" and "Satyricon"). I'm so happy that Jean Marais did not get the Gilles character part; I do not like his acting when he has a romantic scene with a woman. He plays to the camera or audience not the woman (see "Beauty and the Beast"). I liked the stark castle interiors and the courtyard shots. The devil quite lively and what a dandy. Amazing what the production crew was able to accomplish. Yes, I also was able to pick the director Resnais out of the extras provided for the banquet scene. Haven't picked out Simone Signoret yet.

The Criterion Collection specializes in classic films that are very hard to find. La Belle Et La Bete was the first one I purchased, and now, Les Visiteur Du Soir, a French film that pre-dated La Belle Et La Bete, and is just as sumptuous and entertaining. It's also harder than hen's teeth to locate before Criterion released it. As a student of the French language, and as a film enthusiast, I can highly recommend it.

The Carne-Prevert pattern of Quai des Brumes translates here into fantasy, reminiscent of La Belle et la Bete, which is not completely successful. It lacks the superb performances of the earlier films, and those of the forthcoming "Les Enfants du Paradis" and its leisurely rhythms fail to engage the attention adequately. But it is an essential element of French twentieth century cinema and of European history of the time.

This French film starring Arletty was one of the highlights of her career. It is a humorous film with a twist on an ending...

Was delighted to find this finally available. This film was made under the noses of the Nazis, during the German occupation. Well worth adding to your collection if you love French films.

A trip Down memory Lane.

Human love is a positive thing although it can also generate some real negatives as well: jealousy, revenge, corrupted aspirations - all shown here.

Les visiteurs du soir (titled The Devil's Envoys in America) was the fourth collaboration between director Marcel Carné and screenwriter Jacques Prévert, released a few years before their masterpiece Children of Paradise. Being a big admirer of that film, as well as their other collaborations Port of Shadows and Le Jour se Lève, I had eagerly awaited this film to receive a proper release and was pleased when Criterion added it to their collection this month. With the Nazi's occupying France during this timeframe, it's said that Carné set out to make a straight-forward film that would avoid any trouble with the censors. Upon its release the film was met with acclaim with many seeing it as an allegory for the Occupation, a charge Carné fervently denied. While memorable and beautiful to look at I find Les visiteurs du soir inferior to their other collaborations, possibly because of the constraints they imposed on themselves by purposefully and carefully making a film that wouldn't upset the censors. As a result, there seems to be less freedom than in their earlier and subsequent collaborations. Their films fall under the category of poetic realism, with the poetic nature coming largely from Prévert's knack for writing beautiful, poetic dialogue. Much of the poetry here comes from the images in the film rather than words.The story opens in May, 1485 where the Devil has sent two of his envoys to drive humans to despair. The envoys Gilles (Alain Cuny) and Dominique (Arletty) arrive at the castle of Baron Hughes (Fernand Ledox) dressed as minstrels as the castle celebrates his daughter Anne's (Marie Déa) engagement to Renaud (Marcel Herrand). The two wreak havoc by enticing those in the castle; Gilles first seduces Anne, while Dominique entrances Baron Hughes and Renaud. Things go according to plan until Gilles actually falls in love with Anne, provoking the Devil's wrath and causing him to appear at the castle to ensure that the happiness of those in the castle is truly destroyed. The Devil, as played by Jules Berry, arrives halfway through the film and this is when it really gains traction.Shot in Nice, with uncredited art direction by Alexandre Trauner (a Hungarian Jew, whose involvement was hidden by Carné); the sets are a grand achievement. In creating a storybook world Trauner really captures a far away time and place. Of course the film is also gorgeously shot by Roger Hubert, who would go on to beautifully shoot Children of Paradise as well. The acting is terrific, with Berry giving the stand-out performance as the Devil. His maniacal energy towers over the latter hour of the film and he outshines nearly everyone in his wake. It's a mannered yet showy performance that is tremendously effective.As stated earlier, I found the film slightly inferior to Carné and Prévert's other collaborations and much of this stems from the script that Prévert co-wrote with Pierre Laroche. Much of the dialogue revolves around declarations of love and chit-chat about love and there are times when it grows repetitious. Children of Paradise featured dialogue in the same vein and Prévert succeeded at crafting much more beautiful and memorable dialogue about that subject in far fewer words. This opinion may reflect more on my own bias than the actual quality of the film, but I was slightly let down by how unscathed I was by the dialogue here when their other films have affected me so profoundly. It was the poetic beauty of the dialogue in addition to the beauty of the images that made their other collaborations so compelling.Regardless, Les visiteurs du soir is another triumph from Carne and Prévert's magical partnership and it's presented here in all its glory with a beautiful transfer from the Criterion Collection. The crisp elegance of the black and white photography was enough to make me swoon even when the dialogue and story failed to. Those who already deeply appreciate Carné's films will probably rank this highly, but those who are unfamiliar with his work should familiarize themselves before trying this film. Still, for any complaints I may have, it's hard to deny what a breathtaking film it is.