Therese Raquin (1953)

 Marcel Carne's "Therese Raquin"


Loosely based on the 1867 novel of the same name by Emilie Zola, "Therese Raquin" would be the last great success of famed French director Marcel Carne's career. Starring Simone Signoret, who was becoming an international star for her performances in French films at that time, "Therese Raquin" does quite have the trademark visual styles of Carne, but it does possess the cruel fatalist mentality that has come to occupy his work.

The film centers on Therese Raquin, who is stuck in a loveless marriage with her sickly first cousin, Camille, whom lives with his mother. After running into a mysterious Italian truck driver named Laurent, the two engage in a passionate affair. When Camille uncovers their secret, Laurent murders him by throwing him from a moving train. During the investigation into the murder, one key witness at the scene blackmails Therese and Laurent, threatening their continued freedom.

While "Therese Raquin" didn't have quite the complexity of themes for me as Carne's previous work, it still offers a fatalistic view of a woman who is trapped by all the men in her life, even her lover, Laurent. It works almost like a post-noir piece that doesn't quite fit the same rubric as a noir film, but thematically contains its bare essence, along with the dark and hopeless finale. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

La Dolce Vita (1960)

Image
  Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" The famed Italian poet and director Pier Paolo Pasolini once said that Federico Fellini's 1960 masterpiece " La Dolce Vita " was too important to be discussed in the usual way one discusses a film. I absolutely agree. " La Dolce Vita " is not only a monolith in cinematic history - it set a new precedent for how films could be constructed. Its DNA lies in the very components of modern cinematic convention. The themes and narrative beats remain as relevant today as they were in 1960, lending the film a remarkable sense of timelessness. To call " La Dolce Vita " a masterpiece almost feels like an understatement.  The film departs from traditional narrative structure, unfolding instead through a series of interconnected episodes. Marcello Mastroianni stars as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who aspires to write literature. Navigating the glamorous yet hollow world of Rome's café society, he spend...
Read more

Oliver Twist (1948)

Image
  David Lean's "Oliver Twist" After the success of David Lean's 1946 adaption of Charles Dickens classic 1861 novel " Great Expectations ," Lean decided once again to adapt a classic work by Dickens. This time, his focus was on the 1837 novel, " Oliver Twist ." His 1948 adaptation once again proved that Lean was able to take Dicken's classic work and visualize it for the big screen.  Centering on a young orphan boy in 19th century England, " Oliver Twist " details the boy's plight as he is hired out as an apprentice after asking a cruel taskmaster for a second serving of gruel. Falling in with a street urchin and a criminal, the boy's fate between wealth and poverty hangs in the balance when his kindly benefactor decides to take him in. From all of the Charles Dickens adaptations I have seen, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of Dicken's work. I know, blasphemous. From " Great Expectations " to ...
Read more

The Browning Version (1951)

Image
  Anthony Asquith's "The Browning Version" I was very caught off guard by Anthony Asquith's 1951 British film " The Browning Version ." Going into it, I wasn't sure what to expect. Regardless, what I received was something far more emotionally complex than anticipated.  The film centers on Andrew Crocker-Harris, an embittered, middle-aged schoolmaster. He is resigning from his post due to his poor health, his wife is cheating on him, and the person she's cheating on him with is the one replacing him at his post. This sets off a series of emotional and existential reflections on whether his hardnose and authoritarian teaching methods made any difference with the students throughout his teaching career. However, one grateful student forces Crocker-Harris into an emotional reckoning. The film forces reflection on one's life and the difference we make in the lives of those around us. Perhaps you hold too tightly to your ideals and perhaps you've ...
Read more