Port of Shadows (1938) (original) (raw)
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Original title
Le Quai des Brumes
Year
1938
Running time
91 min.
Country
France
Director
Screenwriter
Cast
Music
Cinematography
Producer
Genre
Drama. Romance. Thriller | Crime. French Poetic Realism
Synopsis
Life's a rotten business, says Jean, a deserter who arrives at night in Le Havre, looking to leave the country. He lucks into civilian clothes, a little bit of money, a passport, and a dog, and he also meets Nelly, a 17-year-old who's grown up too fast. She's the object of lust of men: including a boyfriend Maurice, her putative protector Zabel, and Lucien, a local hood. Jean falls for her, faces down Lucien, and gives her courage to stand on her own feet. A ship is leaving for Venezuela; can at least one of them be on it, or is that just a dream?
Rankings Position
- #61 Best Movies of the '30s
- #76 Best French Movies of all time
- #103 Best Thrillers in the history of film
- #118 Best Crime Movies
Awards
1938: Venice Film Festival: Special Recommendation. Nominated for Mussolini Cup
1938: National Board of Review: Best Foreign Film. Top Foreign Films
1939: National Board of Review (NBR): Best Foreign Film. 2 nominations
Critics' reviews
- "From Gabin's fatigued magnetism to cinematographer Eugen Schfftan's woodcut-worthy attention to texture, this is movie melancholia of the very highest order."
- "It is a long film -- with French dialogue and English titles -- but despite the slenderness of the story it is gripping and exciting in every moment."
- "Not a cheerful evening's viewing, this, but a superb and compelling example of melancholic realism."
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