Le Baron de l’écluse is a French comedy romance film first released in 1960, directed by Jean Delannoy.  The film stars Jean Gabin, Micheline Presle, Jacques Castelot, Aimée Mortimer and Jean Constantin.  It has also been released under the title: The Baron of the Locks.  Our overall rating for this film is: good.


The baron Jérôme Antoine is an inveterate gambler, often losing, sometimes winning.  One day, he wins a million francs when playing cards with the marquis de Villamayor.  As a deposit,  the marquis gives the baron a luxury yacht.  On the spur of the moment, the baron sets out on a leisure cruise on his new boat with a former mistress, Perle, whom he snatches from her current partner, an ill-tempered millionaire.   Penniless, the baron has to wait impatiently for his cheque from Villamayor.  Whilst waiting, Perle meets a wealthy young wine grower who falls in love with her, and the baron is attracted to a café owner, Maria.

In this light romantic comedy, Delannoy plays on his strengths as a director and also capitalises on the formidable acting talent in his cast – notably Jean Gabin and Micheline Presle.   Gabin is particularly impressive as the gentleman gambler who appears wealthy and imposing, but in truth has scarcely a sou to his name.  White-haired and perhaps a little stiff-limbed, Gabin is still as imposing as ever, exuding charisma and charm in every scene in which he appears.  For once, his capacity to out-stage everyone else in the world is an asset.

Sharing the limelight with Gabin is the attractive Micheline Presle.  Despite their apparent age difference (which the film wittily acknowledges by having Presle’s character pretending to be the baron’s neice), the two actors have a striking on-screen rapport.  Jean Desailly also makes a pleasing appearance in a typically wistful Desailly rôle.

Whilst strong on characterisation, the film is noticeably weak on content and  pacing.  To some extent, Audiard’s fine dialogue makes up for that, but the latter half of the film seems to crawl along and the viewer becomes as impatient as Gabin’s character, waiting for that wretched cheque to arrive.

The ending is also something of a disappointment.  Micheline Presle’s disappears without a trace and the baron walks away from his new female friend, Maria, without any qualms.

© James Travers 2000

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