Introduction to classics. French poetic realism. Part 5. The theme of unhappy love and bitter parting - very often found its disclosure in the works of poetic realism of the 30s. Here in the film by Jacques Fader “The Big Game” (with which it is customary to begin counting the birth of this film direction) – the problem of tragic love and its consequences is the main one.
Young aristocrat Pierre leads a luxurious bohemian life. He's in love with money-strapped Florence. At one point, Pierre’s life changes dramatically and he is forced to leave the country. Florence refuses to go with him and leave Paris, Pierre regards it as betrayal and goes to serve in a foreign legion. After a while, while in service in Africa, Pierre unsuccessfully tries to cope with grief and at one point meets the unsuccessful singer of a seedy cabaret Irma, like two drops of water similar to his former unhappy love.
The story was very tragic and melodramatic. Wanting to escape from the past, the protagonist tries to find solace in the brotherhood, but this very past will overtake him again. The image of Pierre was as tragic as it was selfish. After all, having met the one who really loves him, he prefers to step on the old rake, thereby ruining his life completely and making at least one woman unhappy. The motive of the main character’s obsession with the same appearance of two different women will still meet in the movies later. The part of the wallpaper heroines was magnificently and completely differently performed by Marie Belle. Florence and Irma in her performance are at least the same face, but completely different, and the actress successfully managed to provide this. It is this find that is probably the most successful in the film and perhaps this is the first example of this in world cinema.
Despite all its unquestionably successful decisions, the plot still sags heavily and makes you bored, but, as it almost always happens in “poetic realism” – the most important thing lies in the details and images. That Pierre, that all his entourage (most of whom are remembered by the Russian colleague Nikolai Ivanov and the wife of the hotel owner, fortune teller Madame Blanche) are unfortunate people thrown to the sidelines of life, who try to find at least some comfort in the gray reality surrounding them. However, the atmosphere of a seedy African town is not at all optimistic. Life here begins only with the arrival of soldiers, which confirms the scene in which, as if an extinct town, in an instant comes to life only from afar a soldier's march is heard. In general, the whole film is saturated with a thick pessimistic spirit, which conceptually brings it together with the "noir", although almost every frame of the tape is filled with the scorching African sun, but the sun this illuminates far from the most pleasant pictures.
This time I do not want to say too much, because the picture did not arouse particularly strong emotions in me, as it was, for example, from the “Mist Embankment”. Yes, the plot is quite original (for that time), but does not always retain interest, although of course the final thought of the impossibility of living in the past, because it will undoubtedly pull back - always remains vital and relevant. And in general: in strong images, both central and secondary, in the technical aspect and in particular the camera work and the magnificent acting of the actors - perhaps the main advantages of the "Big Game" lie, even despite some delay. So it is necessary to look at it anyway, at least simply to find out where “poetic realism” began. Just for me personally, the biggest emotional response in the film was caused only by the finale, which turned out to be really strong and perfectly looping the story.