Four years after Sternberg's "Morocco" came this other story of the loves of a French légionnaire in Morocco, that pretty much knocked the whole romantic notion down a few pegs. It is steeped in pessimism and existential angst, which makes it a film noir despite all that sunshine. The criminal/immoral milieu is lovingly depicted but the thing that captivated me the most in this downtrodden love story is the dual role played by Marie Bell, who plays both Florence, the hot ticket Parisian kept woman sophisticate who only loves money, and Irma, the third-rate boondocks cabaret entertainer with the languid gait and the slow-witted stare who really loves him. What an acting job! The difference in class between the love goddess-for-pay and the kind-hearted unkempt "pouffiasse" is staggering and one must conclude that the hero only loves Irma because she reminds him of the physical Florence under the covers and doesn't care a hoot about her feelings. It's a very depressing take on the "human bondage" of physical attraction and a good precursor to "Pépé le Moko" and "Gueule d'Amour" with the added bonus of Françoise Rosay acting as Greek chorus and earth mother.
Review of Le grand jeu
