Love and reputation To be honest, René Clair’s Great Maneuvers (1955), starring Gerard Philip, seemed to me to be in many ways similar to The Night Beauties (1952), the previous work of the same director with the same lead actor. In both films, all attention is focused on the figure of the central character - in "Beauties" is a composer, and in "Maneuvers" an officer of the cavalry - in both cases, these characters are bathed in the hypertrophied adoration of the fairer sex, and most importantly, both heartthrobs are represented by the same person - the face of the outstanding French actor Gerard Philip, who is in those years in the zenith of his fame.
Cavalry Lieutenant Armand de la Verne is young, handsome, and perhaps no less frivolous than his previous Clair character, composer Claude. The whole city knows about the adventures of Armand, many local beauties have been in the arms of a lieutenant, and many of those who have not yet visited, probably dream about it. However, Arman's heart is not yet occupied. Before sending the cavalry regiment to large maneuvers, a month remains, and friends conclude an adventurous bet with the main character. The essence of the bet is as follows: for the remaining 30 days, Armand must seduce the woman of the city, which the lot will indicate. And it would seem that it may be easier than this task for the notorious conqueror of women's hearts, but the lot points not to anyone, but to the respectable Madame Marie-Louise, in the role of which starred another star of French cinema - Michelle Morgan. Marie-Louise doesn't need any adventures with young officers, and she has long rejected all of the lieutenant's courtships. But much more surprising is the fact that Armand... really falls in love with the object of his argument! Unfortunately, no one believes in the sincerity of the feelings of the protagonist, because all his reputation, all his former "merits" now speak against him. Marie-Louise likes Armand, but how can you trust a person who is told so!?
In my opinion, the message of the painting by R. Clair, his main idea, albeit somewhat veiled by a humorous form of presentation, is the idea that our own past is often put as a brake on moving forward in life. Using the example of Lieutenant de la Verne, the author shows that a person’s reputation, acquired by him earlier, can weigh on a person and seriously interfere with him in the future. In general, as in other works of René Clair, the funny in the “Great Maneuvers” is adjacent to the sad, and the frivolous with the deep. And do not entrust your mood to the playfulness and comedy of the picture to the end - there will be places that will make you thick. Especially since the movie has such an unexpected ending. By the way, there is a version of “Great Maneuvers” with another alternative ending – not the one shown in the Moscow cinema “Illusion”. However, as I read in the set and , that alternate ending is even more unexpected than in the version I write about here.
Is it possible to say that the acting duet of Gerard Philip and Michelle Morgan looks very interesting!? I think it's a rhetorical question. The list of movie stars, however, is not limited to these two names - the film also starred such cults as Brigitte Bardot (as Lucy) and Yves Montand (who played Armand's friend Lieutenant Leroy), as well as other worthy French actors and actresses of the past - Jean Desaily, Jacques Francois, Magalie Noel, Madeleine Barbulet.
"Big Maneuvers" - the picture is largely musical, containing a lot of sun, good humor, love lyrics, dynamic (in the characteristic French spirit) plot development. In my opinion, the film is slightly inferior in variety to the “Night beauties”, but in its own way it is also very good – Renee Claire simply did not know how to make a bad movie.
8 out of 10