From unknown director René Chanas who directed only 10 long features, I appreciated that "Carcasse..." with Michel Simon in his kind of anarchic boozy truculent character (like in Boudu, le Dernier tournant, les Amants du Pont Saint Jean...). Amoral story of an heritage by a forest ranger in countryside (Michel Simon) with all kind of weird characters and situations. It is sadly the last character played by extraordinary Lucien Coëdel (Roger la honte, the exceptional "Sortilèges" by Christian Jaque). Written by actor René Lefevre who worked a few times with René Chanas. From that director, I would like to see "Je suis un mouchard" with Paul Meurisse and Madeleine Robinson, surely another hidden French film noir gem.
2 Reviews
Carcass and Wring-Neck
dbdumonteil10 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Third movie by René Chanas ,but not the first time he had teamed up with Michel Simon who was the star of his sophomore effort " La Taverne Du Poisson Couronné " ;but La "Carcasse Et Le Tord-Cou " is superior to the former.
Often compared to "Goupi Mains rouges" ,but,although both movies take place in the country,Chanas's work is a horse of a different color:whereas Becker's movie was primarily a rural thriller, " Carcasse" is closer to Maupassant's short stories or Zola 's "La Terre".
A cunning farmer ,"TOrd -Cou" (Michel Simon ) and his greedy son-in- law "La Carcasse"(Lucien Coedel ,in his last role) hate each other .When the former 's wife dies ,the fifty-year-old man marries a young girl ,Theresa,whom his in-law covets though he is married to Lucie.
The Office Catholique Du Cinema advised their flock against this immoral movie,although the ending is,in a way ,very edifying ,cause the two criminals who get away with their murder,are going to tear each other to pieces ;all is greed and lust in this God -forsaken world ,where a funeral is an excuse for drinking ,so to speak,to the departed 's health (or memory).The notary (Jean Brochard) is a smug person,full of himself ,who despises those uneducated hicks ;Theresa's father (Louis Seigner)is cynical ,sly and calculating and uses his daughter's beauty to latch onto Tord-Cou 's inheritance .Michel Simon is as great as ever and excels in his portrayal of a libidinous peasant.
Often compared to "Goupi Mains rouges" ,but,although both movies take place in the country,Chanas's work is a horse of a different color:whereas Becker's movie was primarily a rural thriller, " Carcasse" is closer to Maupassant's short stories or Zola 's "La Terre".
A cunning farmer ,"TOrd -Cou" (Michel Simon ) and his greedy son-in- law "La Carcasse"(Lucien Coedel ,in his last role) hate each other .When the former 's wife dies ,the fifty-year-old man marries a young girl ,Theresa,whom his in-law covets though he is married to Lucie.
The Office Catholique Du Cinema advised their flock against this immoral movie,although the ending is,in a way ,very edifying ,cause the two criminals who get away with their murder,are going to tear each other to pieces ;all is greed and lust in this God -forsaken world ,where a funeral is an excuse for drinking ,so to speak,to the departed 's health (or memory).The notary (Jean Brochard) is a smug person,full of himself ,who despises those uneducated hicks ;Theresa's father (Louis Seigner)is cynical ,sly and calculating and uses his daughter's beauty to latch onto Tord-Cou 's inheritance .Michel Simon is as great as ever and excels in his portrayal of a libidinous peasant.
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