Un revenant
1946 Drama / Romance
|
Credits
|
|
|
Summary
Monsieur Sauvage returns to his home town, having left 20 years earlier following an incident
in which he was shot by a friend, a rival for the woman he loved. Now director of
a ballet company, Sauvage confronts his former friend to seek an explanation for what
happened. He meets his former girlfriend, Genevieve, and finds that there is still
a mutual attraction. Meanwhile, Sauvage’s old friend is having financial problems
with his firm, and the only way out is for his son to marry a wealthy heiress. However,
the son, François has joined Sauvage’s company as a set designer and he soon becomes
infatuated with a ballet dancer. Sauvage is far from reluctant to intervene to help
out his former "friend"...
Review
Despite being overlooked these days, Un Revenant is one of director Christian-Jacque’s
finest films, with some impressive photography, good acting performances and well-conceived
scenario. It is a perceptive analysis of the fragility of young love, and the destructive
powers that it can unleash. The moving François-Karina subplot echoes or
reinforces the distant love affair and rivalry involving Sauvage and Gevevieve which is
referred to, but never seen on screen, throughout the narrative.
Acting plaudits go jointly to Louis Jouvet as the embittered and cynical ballet director and François Périer as the high-spirited and idealistic young man, François. Jouvet’s character has been wounded, almost mortally, by love, whilst François is subjected to similar experiences leading to a near-fatal outcome. The ending is a little pessimistic, but at least Jouvet’s character is able to offer some consolation and advice to his younger protégé that might save him from ending up like him. © James Travers 2000 Write a review for this film... |
|
