Justin de Marseille

Maurice Tourneur is one of French cinema's important directors who enjoyed tremendous success not only in France but in Germany and USA too where he made some minor films. In recent times, numerous efforts have been made in France in order to give cinema enthusiasts a chance to discover his work. For example: Famous studio Pathé has recently released an important DVD box set which features some of his best known films. Among its admirers one can cite the name of French director Bertrand Tavernier from Lyon who is currently president of Institut Lumière. Justin DE Marseille is one of the earliest successful films of gangster genre in French cinema. Film critics in France have considered it as a parody thriller. Its primary focus is concentrated on establishing Marseille as the center of mafia related activities. For this film,Maurice Tourneur worked with screenwriter Carlo Rim who had directed "L'Armoire Volante" with comedy superstar Fernandel. As a perfect amalgamation of drama and love story, Justin DE Marseille depicts the perpetual struggles of two mafia men of different nationalities who would go to any extent to control their territory. From their fight, one deduces that in the field of crime, one who stands for the poor and weak emerges as a strong leader. Film critic Lalit Rao watched this film on TV5 Monde channel.