Angèle (1934) - film review

Angèle is the daughter of a respectable farmer, Clarius, and lives with her parents and their valet Saturnin on their farm in the South of France.  Her life is turned up-side-down when she meets an attractive young town man, Louis, who is taking a holiday in the countryside.  Angèle knows nothing of Louis’ reputation as a gigolo and allows him to seduce her.  Infatuated with Louis, Angèle secretly leaves her home and follows him to Marseilles.  A year later, the faithful Saturnin travels to the town to try to find Angèle and persuade her to return home.  To his surprise, he finds that Angèle has been rejected by her precious Louis and she has been forced to make a living as a prostitute.  To make matters worse, she has given birth to an illegitimate child.   Saturnin returns to Clarius’ farm with Angèle and her baby son, but the old farmer’s reaction is predictable.  Appalled at what Angèle has done, Clarius locks her up in a cellar and guards his farm with a rifle to ensure that no-one discovers his daughter’s disgrace.  Meanwhile, the one man who loves Angèle, a young farmer named Albin, is determined to find Angèle and ask her to marry him – but he is oblivious her unhappy story...

This is the first of Marcel Pagnol’s three ambitious film adaptations of novels by Jean Giono (followed by Regain and La Femme du boulanger).  Like many of Pagnol’s films, Angèle presents a romanticised view of life in Provence, reflecting Pagnol’s love for the region perhaps better than the austere reality of the situation.

Pagnol’s use of location filming and direct sound was a radical departure from the norm at the time, and his work is often cited as the inspiration for neo-realism which rose to prominence in the following decade.

Although the film drags in a few places, the sheer poetry in the dialogue and the depth of characterisation makes this a rich and captivating work of cinema.  Fernandel, Jean Servais and Orane Demazis are a pleasure to watch, exuding genuine emotions in their performances.

Pagnol was a great observer of human nature, and this is reflected as much in his work as a director as in his extraordinary writing.  This film bears testimony to that in abundance.  There is not one scene in this film which appears staged or insincere.

Although the story is a simple one, of corruption and redemption, Pagnol makes of it something intensely moving and enchanting.  It is regarded by many as his finest work as a director.

© James Travers 2000

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