Impressive, dark Emile Zola film adaptation with a fantastic Maria Schell in the title role
This 1956 French drama film is a total teardown, but what a watch it is! It was directed by Rene Clement (also "The Boat of the Damned" (1947), based on Emile Zola's novel "L'Assommoir" (meaning: The Manslayer, that's the name of the bar in the novel), known as "Die Schnapsbude" in German The action takes place in Paris in the 1850s.
The film focuses on the laundress Gervaise and therefore the great Maria Schell as the main actress. And this decision is absolutely right! Maria Schell plays as if unleashed and for this role she more than rightly received the Coppa Volpi as best actress at the Venice International Film Festival in 1956.
Her Gervaise is a disabled washerwoman who lives unmarried with her lover and their two children. When she is abandoned by her lover (Armand Mestral), things initially look very bad for her and her children. Only through his marriage to the roofer Coupeau (Francois Perier, who was also seen as an inspector in "Le samourai" (1967) and as a mafia lawyer in the Italian hit series "La piovra" (three seasons from 1984)) there is some hope again. Thanks to her husband's friend (Jacques Harden as a blacksmith who becomes a harbinger of the emerging workers' movement), Gervaise is even able to open her own laundry room. But this happiness doesn't last long. A terrible accident, resentment in the neighborhood, personal missteps and, above all, alcohol ensure that the small working-class family goes to the dogs.
This is a very bitter material that is told uncompromisingly and entirely in line with Zola's original. But how this happens is incredibly worth seeing and sometimes terribly funny. In addition to the breathtaking Maria Schell, all the other actors can also shine in their great roles. In addition to those already mentioned, Micheline Luccioni as the provocative Clemence, Mathilde Casadesus as the chatty Madame Boche and of course the recently deceased Suzy Delair (1917-2020) as the devious Virginie Poisson should also be mentioned.
Two scenes from the plot can simply be described as great. At the very beginning there is a fight in the washhouse between Maria Schell and Suzy Delair, which has cult status and is still absolutely worth seeing. At Gervaise and Coupeau's wedding, the whole party goes to the Louvre and looks at the pictures there. Simply great!
In general, the dialogues are fantastic, rough and without mincing words! The plot and cinematic implementation are very direct and true to life for a film from the 1950s. Something like this would not have been conceivable in a German or American film at that time.
This film is a classic that you should definitely see. Maria Schell was able to start her international career with this film. Must see!
This 1956 French drama film is a total teardown, but what a watch it is! It was directed by Rene Clement (also "The Boat of the Damned" (1947), based on Emile Zola's novel "L'Assommoir" (meaning: The Manslayer, that's the name of the bar in the novel), known as "Die Schnapsbude" in German The action takes place in Paris in the 1850s.
The film focuses on the laundress Gervaise and therefore the great Maria Schell as the main actress. And this decision is absolutely right! Maria Schell plays as if unleashed and for this role she more than rightly received the Coppa Volpi as best actress at the Venice International Film Festival in 1956.
Her Gervaise is a disabled washerwoman who lives unmarried with her lover and their two children. When she is abandoned by her lover (Armand Mestral), things initially look very bad for her and her children. Only through his marriage to the roofer Coupeau (Francois Perier, who was also seen as an inspector in "Le samourai" (1967) and as a mafia lawyer in the Italian hit series "La piovra" (three seasons from 1984)) there is some hope again. Thanks to her husband's friend (Jacques Harden as a blacksmith who becomes a harbinger of the emerging workers' movement), Gervaise is even able to open her own laundry room. But this happiness doesn't last long. A terrible accident, resentment in the neighborhood, personal missteps and, above all, alcohol ensure that the small working-class family goes to the dogs.
This is a very bitter material that is told uncompromisingly and entirely in line with Zola's original. But how this happens is incredibly worth seeing and sometimes terribly funny. In addition to the breathtaking Maria Schell, all the other actors can also shine in their great roles. In addition to those already mentioned, Micheline Luccioni as the provocative Clemence, Mathilde Casadesus as the chatty Madame Boche and of course the recently deceased Suzy Delair (1917-2020) as the devious Virginie Poisson should also be mentioned.
Two scenes from the plot can simply be described as great. At the very beginning there is a fight in the washhouse between Maria Schell and Suzy Delair, which has cult status and is still absolutely worth seeing. At Gervaise and Coupeau's wedding, the whole party goes to the Louvre and looks at the pictures there. Simply great!
In general, the dialogues are fantastic, rough and without mincing words! The plot and cinematic implementation are very direct and true to life for a film from the 1950s. Something like this would not have been conceivable in a German or American film at that time.
This film is a classic that you should definitely see. Maria Schell was able to start her international career with this film. Must see!