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La Fille du puisatier
(Marcel Pagnol, 1940) |
Volpone
(Maurice Tourneur, 1940) |
L'Assassinat du Père Noël
(Christian-Jaque, 1941) |
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| The best of Marcel Pagnol's "single mother" dramas brings together two giants of French cinema, Raimu and Fernandel. [More...] | Harry Baur is the definitive Volpone in this superlative adaptation of the famous Ben Jonson play, which also stars Louis Jouvet. [More...] | This dark murder mystery was the first film to be made in France under the Occupation, which lends it a grim double meaning. [More...] |
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Le Dernier des six
(Georges Lacombe, 1941) |
Les Visiteurs du soir
(Marcel Carné, 1942) |
Inconnus dans la maison
(Henri Decoin, 1942) |
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| Pierre Fresnay and Suzy Delair make an unlikely crime-fighting duo in this slick comedy thriller, scripted by H.G. Clouzot. [More...] | Symbols of French resistance abound in this historical fantasy, made during the Occupation, with a deliciously diabolical performance from Jules Berry. [More...] | Raimu gives a masterful performance in this dark, atmospheric adaptation of a Georges Simenon novel. [More...] |
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L'Assassin habite au 21
(Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942) |
Macao, l'enfer du jeu
(Jean Delannoy, 1942) |
Le Colonel Chabert
(René Le Hénaff, 1943) |
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| Pierre Fresnay and Suzy Delair team up again in this classic comedy thriller, which has more than its quota of insane performances. [More...] | A gun-runner plays for the highest stakes in this atmospheric film noir set in the Far East. [More...] | Raimu gives one of his towering performances in this atmospheric adaptation of Balzac's novel, a subtle allegory for resistance during the Occupation. [More...] |
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Le Corbeau
(Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1943) |
Douce
(Claude Autant-Lara, 1943) |
Goupi mains rouges
(Jacques Becker, 1943) |
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| This "black diamond" of the Occupation is an ingeniously crafted suspense thriller and a shocking depiction of a morally bankrupt society. [More...] | This poignant upstairs-downstairs drama has an appealing blend of romance and satire, with a great performance from Odette Joyeux. [More...] | This black comedy-cum-rural thriller features some wonderfully eccentric performances from actors such as Robert Le Vigan and Fernand Ledoux. [More...] |
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La Main du diable
(Maurice Tourneur, 1943) |
L'Éternel retour
(Jean Delannoy, 1943) |
Le Ciel est à vous
(Jean Grémillon, 1944) |
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| Combining expressionist Gothic horror and wry black comedy, this bizarre fantasy drama is partly a satire on the Vichy regime. [More...] | The dreamlike cinematography and a great script from Jean Cocteau makes this a captivating re-telling of the classic Tristan and Isolda love story. [More...] | This film, made during the darkest days of the Occupation, united the French nation with its stirring portrayal of individual heroism and determination to succeed. [More...] |
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Le Comte de Monte Cristo
(Robert Vernay, 1943) |
Les Enfants du paradis
(Marcel Carné, 1945) |
Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne
(Robert Bresson, 1945) |
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| With its moody atmosphere and intense performances, this has to be one of the best film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' famous novel. [More...] | The supreme achievement of the fruitful Carné-Prévert partnership is this spectacular romantic epic, a guarded symbol of defiance against Nazi Occupation. [More...] | In this disturbing tale of revenge and hatred, Maria Casarès gives a chilling portrayal of a spiteful man-hating villainess. [More...] |
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Boule de suif
(Christian-Jaque, 1945) |
La Fiancée des ténèbres
(Serge de Poligny, 1945) |
Falbalas
(Jacques Becker, 1945) |
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| Made soon after the Liberation, this spirited satire on the Occupation condemns the complacent bourgeoisie and glorifies the Resistance. [More...] | This creepy neo-realist fantasy feels like a cross between Cocteau’s La Belle et la bête and the 1976 horror film The Omen. [More...] | The world of haute couture is the backdrop for this poignant melodrama in which a top fashion designer is driven insane by love. [More...] |
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La Belle et la bête
(Jean Cocteau, 1946) |
La Bataille du rail
(René Clément, 1946) |
La Symphonie pastorale
(Jean Delannoy, 1946) |
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| This dreamlike fantasy gives Jean Marais his most famous role and is arguably the most visually poetic of French films. [More...] | This semi-documentary film, made at the end of WWII, recounts the contribution made by railway workers to the Resistance during the Occupation. [More...] | Michèle Morgan brings an intense tragic poignancy to this superlative adaptation of an André Gide novel. [More...] |
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Un ami viendra ce soir
(Raymond Bernard, 1946) |
Monsieur Vincent
(Maurice Cloche, 1947) |
Quai des Orfèvres
(Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1947) |
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| The first French film to tackle France's treatment of Jews during WWII and the thorny issue of collaboration with the Nazis. [More...] | This compelling portrait of St Vincent de Paul, starring Pierre Fresnay, was the first French film to win an Oscar. [More...] | This dark suspense thriller from the director of Les Diaboliques gives a rare insight into the French music hall of the 1940s. [More...] |
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Les Jeux sont faits
(Jean Delannoy, 1947) |
Le Silence est d'or
(René Clair, 1947) |
Le Diable au corps
(Claude Autant-Lara, 1947) |
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| Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre conceived this existentialist fantasy, which explores the question of free will with imagination and humour. [More...] | Maurice Chevalier stars in this delightful Parisian melodrama, René Clair's first French film after his return from Hollywood. [More...] | Gérard Philipe is perfectly cast as the hero of this sublime adaptation of Raymond Radiguet's scandalous 1923 novel. [More...] |
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