Summary
Urbain Coindet returns to his farmhouse one day to find his wife hanging from the ceiling.
His in-laws reject the most plausible explanation, that the sad woman killed herself,
and instead spread the rumour that Urbain murdered her. Urbain doesn’t help matters
by immediately starting a romance with a young woman, Jeanne, whose brother has an intense
hatred for him. Before long, the entire village is divided into two camps, those
who are for Urbain and those who are against him...
Review
Having made a number of short films in the 1940s, Henri Verneuil began his film-making
career proper in 1951 with this, his first full-length film, adapted from a novel by Marcel
Aymé. The film stars the iconic comic actor Fernandel, who had appeared in
Verneuil’s earlier short film Escale au soleil
(1947). The two men – both major players in French cinema for many years – would
work together again over the following decade in another six films, all popular successes.
With its sunny provençal location, authentic characterisation of country folk and
poetic cinematographic style, La Table aux crevés
is reminiscent of the films of Marcel Pagnol, with which Fernandel is himself
closely associated.
© James Travers 2003
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© James Travers 2003
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Useful links
- Best French films of 2011
- Best French films of the 2000s
- Best of the French New Wave
- Best of French film comedy
- The best 100 French films
- The most successful French films
- Great French filmmakers
Related links
- Other French films of the 1950s
- The best French films of the 1950s
- Other French comedy-dramas
- The best French comedy-dramas
- Biography and films of Henri Verneuil
To buy this film
Check DVD and Blu-ray availability:
Credits
- Director: Henri Verneuil
- Script: Marcel Aymé (novel), André Tabet, Henri Verneuil
- Photo: André Germain
- Music: Louiguy
- Cast: Fernandel (Urbain Coindet), Maria Mauban (Jeanne Gari), Andrex (Frédéric Gari), Antonin Berval (Le père Gari), René Génin (Le curé), Fernand Sardou (Forgeral), Arnaudy (Miloin), Marcel Charvey (Rambarde), Jenny Hélia (La Cornette), Mado Stelli (Louise), Marthe Marty (Heloise Miloin), Edmond Ardisson (Cugue), Max Mouron (Le Corne), Manuel Gary (Felicien Berger), Henri Vilbert (Victor), Édouard Delmont (Capucet), Nicolas Amato (Le brigadier)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 92 min; B&W
- Aka: The Hunting Ground; Village Feud
Similar films
If you like this film you may also like the following:- Le Carrosse d’or (1953)
- Derrière la façade (1939)
- Fanfan la Tulipe (1952)
- Félicie Nanteuil (1945)
- La Fiancée du pirate (1969)
- Le Journal d’une femme de chambre (1964)
- La Mariée était en Noir (1967)
- Monsieur Ripois (1954)
- Les Otages (1938)
- La Règle du jeu (1939)
- Rendez-vous de juillet (1949)
- La Ronde (1950)
- Le Vieil homme et l’enfant (1967)
- Week End (1967)
Important French filmmakers






- François Truffaut
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- Abel Gance
- Jacques Demy
- Jacques Rivette
- Jean Renoir
- Jean Grémillon
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Marcel Carné
- Claude Chabrol
- Claude Lelouch
- Réné Clair
- Marcel Pagnol
- Eric Rohmer
- François Ozon
- Bertrand Tavernier
- Bertrand Blier
- Claire Denis
- Jacques Tati
- Jacques Audiard
- Maurice Pialat
- Robert Guédiguian
To buy La Table aux crevés:

Comedy / Drama


