Directed by Julien Duvivier • 1933 • France
Starring Harry Baur, Valéry Inkijinoff, Alexandre Rignault
Julien Duvivier’s meticulously crafted adaptation of a novel by legendary crime writer Georges Simenon stars Harry Baur as the author’s most indelible creation, Inspector Jules Maigret, who here investigates the odd circumstances surrounding the killing of a wealthy American woman in Paris—a mystery that draws him into the seedy underworld of 1930s France. Every bit Baur’s equal is the Russian émigré actor Valéry Inkijinoff, who delivers a diabolically disturbing performance as a reptilian, nihilistic medical student. Working in a high-expressionistic, proto-noir style, Duvivier fills LA TÊTE D’UN HOMME (“A Man’s Head”) with one evocative image after another, constructing a work of sinister beauty and stark psychological intensity.
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Pépé le moko
Directed by Julien Duvivier • 1937 • United States
Starring Jean Gabin, Gabriel Gabrio, Saturnin FabreThe notorious Pépé le moko (Jean Gabin, in a truly iconic performance) is a wanted man: women long for him, rivals hope to destroy him, and the law is breathing down his neck at every turn. On ...
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Un carnet de bal
Directed by Julien Duvivier • 1937 • France
A rich widow, nostalgic for the lavish parties of her youth, embarks on a journey to reconnect with the many suitors who once courted her. In doing so, she sets off on a course of discovery, both of herself and of how greatly the world has changed in t...
