Amok (1934)

Director:

Fyodor Otsep

Writers:

André Lang
H.R. Lenormand
(more)

Release Date:

18 October 1946 (USA)

Plot:

Dr. Holk leads a lonely life in a small dutch colony in the tropics. Fled from love and civilisation his only companions are alcohol and his work...

Plot Keywords:

Colonial | Alcoholic | Cheating Wife | Rolling Dice | Isolation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Marcelle Chantal	...	Hélène Haviland
Jean Yonnel	...	Holk
Valéry Inkijinoff	...	Amok et Maté (as V. Inkijinoff)
Jean Servais	...	Jan
Pierre Magnier	...	Le président
Hubert Daix	...	Van der Tomb
Madeleine Guitty	...	La servante de cabaret
Fréhel	...	La chanteuse (as Frehel)
Claude Barghon	...	Lili Haviland (as La petite Claude Barghon)
Soura Hari	...	Balinese Dancer
Toshi Komori	...	Dancer
Jean Galland	...	Monsieur Haviland
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Josiane Lisbey	...	(uncredited)
Phili Lovray	...	(uncredited)
Teddy Michaud	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Fyodor Otsep		(as Fedor Ozep)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
André Lang
H.R. Lenormand
Stefan Zweig		novel "Der Amokläufer"

Original Music by
Karol Rathaus

Cinematography by
Curt Courant

Art Direction by
Lazare Meerson

Production Companies

• Carlyle Productions
• Pathé-Natan

Distributors

• Distinguished Films Inc. (1946) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Joinville, Haute-Marne, France

Company:

Carlyle Productions

Movie Connections:

Version of Amok (1944)

Raving madness

Bsed on a Stefan Zweig short story,the movie looks like an extravaganza,a delirious melodrama with an ending as romantic as it can be ."There won't be any autopsy" the doctor said.

Marcelle Chantal was par excellence the heroine of the thirties melodramas (particularly Marcel L'Herbier) ,however her playing seems old-fashioned today ,at least to French eyes ;Jean Yonnel too lacks madness,passion and rage ("Amok" = tropical disease ,some kind of rabies ) The opening,in a studio jungle ,compares favorably with that of Wyler's "the letter" ;the fever in the natives' frenetic dance is masterfully directed ;but the scenes between the heroine and her lover ,or the doctor ,are not always convincing.In his follow-up ,"La Dame De Pique",Ozep had an actor ,Pierre Blanchar ,who ,in spite of what the French critics wrote,gave a truly feverish mad performance .

In a small part ,Jean Servais appears in the ball scene ;Inkjinoff plays the chauffeur ,an almost silent part :he 's best remembered in Duvivier's 'La Tete D'Un Homme" .

A remake -among many others- was made in 1993 by Joel Forges and ,in spite of Fanny Ardant as the unfaithful wife ,is looked by pretty much as a failure.