Devil in the Flesh (1947)

During World War I, the star-crossed affair of an underage French student with a woman engaged to a soldier.

Director:

Claude Autant-Lara

Writers:

Raymond Radiguet (novel), Jean Aurenche

Stars:

Micheline Presle, Gérard Philipe, Denise Grey

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Micheline Presle	...	Marthe Grangier
Gérard Philipe	...	François Jaubert
Denise Grey	...	Madame Grangier
Jean Debucourt	...	Edouard Jaubert
Palau	...	Monsieur Marin
Jean Lara	...	Jacques Lacombe (as Jean Varas)
Michel François	...	René
Richard Francoeur	...	Le maître d'hôtel du grand restaurant
Max Maxudian	...	Le maître d'école
Germaine Ledoyen	...	Madame Jaubert
Jeanne Pérez	...	Madame Marin
Jacques Tati	...	Un officier au bar
André Bervil	...	Le fêtard qui annonce l'Armistice avec un jour d'avance
Edmond Beauchamp	...	Le sommelier du grand restaurant
Charles Vissières	...	Anselme - le serveur du grand restaurant (as Charles Vissière)

Storyline

During World War I, underage student Francois Jaubert meets and falls in love with Marthe Grangier, who is engaged to Jacques, a soldier at the Front. Though Francois pursues her ardently, they become separated and she marries Jacques. But when Marthe and Francois meet again, their mutual feelings prove stronger than ever, and they begin an extramarital affair...regardless of potentially tragic consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

flashback | told in flashback | 1910s | year 1914 | teenage boy | 

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Taglines:

Intimate as a wire recorder in a bedroom!

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Genres:

Romance | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

On 29 June 1947, the French ambassador in Belgium, Raymond Brugère, walked out the screening at Brussels World Film Festival to express disapproval of the movie.

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Connections

Referenced in Les échos du cinéma: Episode #1.39 (1962)

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Soundtracks

It's a Long Way to Tipperary
Written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams
(1912)

User Reviews

My favourite film of all time

This was on BBC television, dubbed into English, in the early sixties. No other film has had quite the same effect. I remember begging my father not to start watching the film as it was already 10.15 p.m. and we had to get up the next day for school and work respectively. In the end we were totally captivated by the harrowing story of a young man (Gérard Philipe) who causes the death, through adultery, of the wife of a serving WW1 soldier.

Particularly memorable is the use of flashbacks, introduced by the eerie sound of church bells winding down, as one might slow down a gramophone record, and the historical background, including a scene of premature celebration of the end of the war.

It is sad that the director, Claude Autant-Lara, turned out to be the French equivalent of a Nazi, and you wonder if that fact has led to a virtual embargo on the film, and that is why it seems to have disappeared. That is a pity. If that criterion were applied to works of art in general then a number of books or pieces of music, or whatever, would be banned because of the activities or opinions of their creators. 'Devil in the Flesh' is a shattering masterpiece, and deserves to be seen again. It is my favourite film of all time.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

9 May 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Devil in the Flesh

Filming Locations:

Studios de Neuilly, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Transcontinental Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1