happytrigger-64-390517 Review of Les amours de minuit

Les amours de minuit (1931)

proto film noir for films noirs fans

[7/10 · 16 September 2018]

As a film noir fan, I was glad to discover this early talkie, with great noir cinematography by two masters, Theodor Sparkuhl ("Among The Living" and "The Glass Key") and Roger Hubert (who worked on two of the best masterpieces of french cinema, "Napoléon" and "Les Enfants Du paradis"). And there are a lot of puzzling expressionist scenes in the harbor. Enjoy the gate scene anticipating Carné's "Quai des Brumes" and Duvivier's "Pépé le Moko". The cast is quite weak, especially Pierre Batcheff, Danièle Parola has some good scenes (and two nice songs) but the best is Jacques Varenne really threatening. If you think this proto noir is aged and too soft, jump on the next perfect and so noir version by Christian-Jacques, "Voyage Sans Espoir", you won't regret it.