Les Visiteurs du Soir (1942)

 Marcel Carne's "Les Visiteurs du Soir"


While watching Marcel Carne's 1942 film "Les Visiteurs du Soir," I almost felt like I was watching a Jean Cocteau film instead. I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the costumes, perhaps the dialogue, or perhaps the fantastical elements of the film. Either way, I felt very disconnected from the Marcel Carne I had come to know through films like "Port of Shadows," "Hotel du Nord," and "Le Jour Se Leve." 

"Les Visiteurs du Soir" focuses on two minstrels in May of 1485 who arrive at the castle of Baron Hugues. The minstrels are actually two envoys of the devil who are arriving at the castle to ruin the marriage of the Baron's daughter. Instead, one of the minstrels, Gilles, falls in love with the Baron's daughter. The Devil himself arrives to set his child straight, only to be shocked to discover that their love is far more powerful than his power. He then turns the two lovers into stone. 

There were certain elements of the film that really stood out to me, perhaps the same ones that stood out to audiences in 1942. Namely, the subtle connotations that the Devil and is overbearing presence in the film mirrors the Nazi occupation of France in 1942. To me, the film seems to point to the underlying hope that was amidst the French population while they were under oppression from the Nazi government. To me, this is perhaps the most interesting element from the film.

Beyond this element, I found the film to be a little boring and uninteresting. There was nothing really in the film that had much engagement with me beyond this subtle metaphor. I still mildly enjoyed the film, but mostly due to this allegorical context.



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