Gervaise (1956)

Gervaise Macquart, a young lame laundress, is left by her lover Auguste Lantier with two boys... She manages to make it, and a few years later she marries Coupeau, a roofer. After working ... See full summary »

Director:

René Clément

Writers:

Émile Zola (novel), Jean Aurenche,

Stars:

Maria Schell, François Périer, Jany Holt

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maria Schell	...	Gervaise Macquart Coupeau, une blanchisseuse douce et courageuse
François Périer	...	Henri Coupeau - le second compagnon de Gervaise, un ouvrier zingueur
Jany Holt	...	Mme Lorilleux - la soeur revêche de Coupeau
Mathilde Casadesus	...	Mme Boche - la concierge curieuse
Florelle	...	Maman Coupeau - la vieille mère d'Henri
Micheline Luccioni	...	Clémence - une blanchisseuse, ouvrière chez Gervaise
Lucien Hubert	...	M. Poisson - un gendarme le mari de Virginie
Jacques Harden	...	Goujet - un forgeron, ami de Gervaise et d'Henri
Jacques Hilling	...	M. Boche - le mari de la concierge
Amédée	...	Mes Bottes - un camarade de Coupeau
Hubert de Lapparent	...	M. Lorilleux - un chaîniste, le mari souffreteux de Mme Lorilleux (as Hubert Lapparent)
Hélène Tossy	...	Mme Bijard
Rachel Devirys	...	Mme Fauconnier (as Rachel Devyris)
Jacqueline Morane	...	Mme Gaudron
Yvonne Claudie	...	Mme Putois - une invitée au repas de fête

Storyline

Gervaise Macquart, a young lame laundress, is left by her lover Auguste Lantier with two boys... She manages to make it, and a few years later she marries Coupeau, a roofer. After working very hard a few more years, she succeeds in buying her own laundry (her dream)... But Coupeau starts to drink after having fallen from a roof, and Lantier shows up... A faithful adaptation of Emile Zola's novel "L'Assomoir", depicting the fatal degeneration of a family of workers, mainly because of alcohol.

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Plot Keywords:

laundress | laundry | poverty | cabaret | blacksmith | 

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Taglines:

A Most Unusual Love Story in a Most Unusual Motion Picture!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

11 November 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Taberna

Filming Locations:

Franstudio, Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agnes Delahaie Productions, Silver Films, Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique (CICC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film appearance of Micheline Luccioni.

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Quotes

Gervaise Macquart Coupeau, une blanchisseuse douce et courageuse: Morning came and he still hadn't returned. He'd been out all night. It was the first time. I was so proud to have the handsomest guy around, me, the gimp.

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Connections

Version of Drink (1902)

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Soundtracks

"Laissez-moi dormir"
Music by Georges Auric
Lyrics by Raymond Queneau
Performed by Maria Lopez

User Reviews

Maria Schell shines in a tragic story

This is a beautifully made, but terribly sad film, based on one of Emile Zola's most depressing stories of French life in the 1800s.

Gervaise is a poor woman with a poorer choice of men. She is loving, smart, and industrious, but falls for superficial, lazy drunks who take advantage of her. While she tries to provide for her family by following her dream of owning her own shop, her husband drinks away the profits and complicates her life by inviting her former lover to live in their house.

I can't say enough good things about Maria Schell's glowing performance as a tragic heroine. Her beautiful, expressive face is impossible to forget, and her emotional range is impressive. The rest of the cast is also pitch-perfect, from her various neighbors and clients, down to the lovely little girl who plays daughter Nana with touching sadness.

Surgeon general's warning: don't watch this film while under the influence of alcohol or mood- depressing drugs. It might push you over your limit.