The Crime of Monsieur Lange (“Le crime de Monsieur Lange”)
Directed by Jean Renoir
1936/France
Films Óberon
Repeat viewing
[box] “A director makes only one movie in his life. Then he breaks it up and makes it again.” ― Jean Renoir[/box]
Jean Renoir made three films in 1936. This one is a well-acted political piece with witty dialogue by the great Jacques Prévert, better known for his work with Marcel Carne, including in Children of Paradise.
It is 1901. Hapless Amédéé Lange (René Lefévre – Le Million) and his girlfriend Valentine (Florelle) are taken to an inn near the Belgian border, which they hope to cross in the morning. The patrons of the inn soon recognize Lange as a wanted murderer. Valentine says they can turn him in if they still want to after hearing his story.
Lange worked for a debt-ridden publishing house owned by the crooked, lecherous Batala (Jules Berry). In his spare time, he wrote a kind of Western/fantasy serial called “Arizona Jim”. Batala tricks Lange into signing over the rights and then uses the serial to advertise a quack medicine. Batala also leeches money from anyone gullible enough to give it to him and seduces and/or rapes innocent girls.
Finally Batala’s debts catch up with him and he feels forced to leave town. He is believed dead after a train wreck that left many unidentifiable victims. The workers at the publishing house form a cooperative with the support of an idealistic creditor. “Arizona Jim” is a big hit and everyone is happy. Then Batala reappears on the scene.
The movie is directed with a very light hand despite its heavy sounding plot. It is clearly a polemic in support of a worker’s revolution, however. So some of the subtlety and humanism characteristic of Renoir is absent in order to make its villain thoroughly bad. Nonetheless, I would rate this in the top tier of Renoir’s films. The dialogue is thoroughly enjoyable and the acting is very good, particularly that of Berry who makes a charming but despicable villain.
The film is not easily available on DVD in the U.S. I watched it on Amazon Watch Instant.
