La Beauté du diable (1950) - film review

An elderly alchemist, Henri Faust, retires from his post as a university professor, disappointed that even after fifty years of study he has still not unravelled the secrets of nature.  One evening he receives a visit from the Devil’s agent, Mephistopheles, who offers Faust the chance to relive his life again.  Faust is reluctant to accept the offer but finds himself transformed into a much younger man.  Although he is delighted with his new-found youth, Faust still refuses to sign away his soul to the Devil.  The cunning Mephistopheles perseveres with his diabolical scheme, offering Faust untold wealth, fame and the undying love of a beautiful princess.  In the end, the temptation proves too much for Faust and he agrees to the infernal contract...

René Clair’s take on the Faustian myth is a characteristically tongue in cheek rendition of the famous tale, reminiscent in style to his earlier American fantasy film, I Married a Witch (1942).  Both films skilfully employ special effects and stark chiaroscuro cinematography to convey the supernatural elements of the plot, but in a way that is more comical than frightening.  In common with much of Clair’s oeuvre, the film works at many levels, containing some amusing topical references, a few dark excursions into existentialist philosophy and an abundance of humorous dry wit.  On the down side, the film lacks the coherence of Clair’s more substantial films and relies too heavily on the personalities of its lead performers to hold it together.

With two iconic, highly talented performers of the calibre of Michel Simon and Gérard Philipe, the film can hardly go wrong.  What an inspired idea that they should switch their roles (Faust and Mephistopheles) part-way through the film, and what an effective double act they make.  For the most part, Philipe plays the conventional romantic hero, the kind of role for which he is best known.  Far more interesting is his mischievous portrayal of the young Mephistopheles, which is just as sinister as it is amusing.  Michel Simon’s Mephistopheles is no less enjoyable, an unashamedly over-the-top performance which allows the actor to indulge his penchant for pantomime.  Interestingly, Clair’s initial motivation for making the film was to put right what he thought was a structural fault in the original Faust story.  Whether he succeeded in that is a matter of personal judgement, but this is certainly an engaging and diabolically witty piece of cinema.

© James Travers 2002

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