French film photo galley for Romance/Comedy

French films Romance/Comedy

Sous les toits de Paris (1930)

In common with many of his contemporaries of the late 1920s, director René Clair was apprehensive over the transition from silent to sound cinema, and this is apparent in his first sound film, Sous les toit de Paris. Although the film has a number of scenes with recorded dialogue, it is essentially a silent film to which sound elements have been added in a rather tentative and somewhat... [More...]

Le Million (1931)

Rated as René Clair’s comic masterpiece, the original template for the Hollywood musicals, and one of the best of the early sound films, Le Million is by any account an astonishing piece of cinema that lives up to its reputation. Even seventy years on, the film is bursting with energy and freshness and has a great deal to entertain a modern cinema audience... [More...]

Quatorze Juillet (1933)

René Clair has been described as the most quintessentially French of France’s great film directors, and nowhere is this more apparent than in his poetic elegy to young romance, Quatorze juillet. This film is similar in spirit to Clair’s earlier film Sous les toit de Paris (1930), with its free-flowing narrative and idealised portrayal of ordinary life in Paris... [More...]

Partie de campagne (1936)

Often cited as one of Jean Renoir’s best works, Partie de Campagne is a magnificently crafted adaptation of a popular short story by Guy de Maupassant. Renoir’s treatment of the subject is masterful: the achingly beautiful location heightens the cruel irony of Henrietta’s fate. Instead of following her natural desire to pursue the man she is drawn to... [More...]

Le Fauteuil 47 (1937)

Louis Verneuil’s stage play Le Fauteuil 47 was first adapted for cinema by Gaston Ravel in 1926. This stylish 1937 re-make was directed by Fernand Rivers and starred four high-profile actors of the 1930s – Raimu, Françoise Rosay, André Lefaurn and Henri Garat. The strong cast brings a touch of class to what is pretty much a conventional French farce in which the... [More...]

La Règle du jeu (1939)

One of the undisputed all time classics of French cinema, La Règle du Jeu is also widely regarded as Jean Renoir’s best film, a sublime masterpiece of filmmaking technique and satirical verve. Alternating between high drama and music hall farce, it has simultaneously the sophistication of a great work of art and also the sense of anarchistic fun of a student comic play... [More...]

La Romance de Paris (1941)

One of the most famous and best-loved of French film musicals, Romance de Paris is probably the closest that French cinema managed to get to recreating the glamour and charm of the traditional Hollywood musical of the 1930s and 40s. It was directed by Jean Boyer, the best (if not the only) French director of the genre. The film musical is not well represented in French cinema—lack of popular... [More...]

Le Silence est d'or (1947)

The film that marked René Clair’s long-awaited return to French cinema after his brief "exile" in the United States, Le silence est d’or is widely regarded as one of his best works, and probably his most touching. The conflict between the stirrings of the heart and the constraints of loyalty, the age-old dilemma of love versus friendship... [More...]

La Belle meunière (1948)

La Belle meunière is Marcel Pagnol’s heartfelt tribute to the work of Franz Schubert, a composer he greatly admired. It has not only the distinction of being Pagnol’s sole colour film but also the only film made with the revolutionary Roux Color system, invented by the brothers Lucien and Armand Roux... [More...]

Rendez-vous de juillet (1949)

Rendez-vous de juillet is in many ways one of the most remarkable and unexpected French films of the 1940s. It certainly represents a clear break from the traditional style of film which that decade excelled in. With its exuberant depiction of youth culture and realistic portrayal of young people rollicking in the happy interval between education and full time employment... [More...]

La Beauté du diable (1950)

René Clair’s telling of the Faustian myth is a characteristically tongue in cheek rendition of the famous tale, reminiscent in style to his earlier American film, I Married a Witch (1942). Both films rely heavily on special effects and unusual photography to emphasise the supernatural elements of the plot, but in a way that is intentionally comical... [More...]

Andalousie (1951)

Andalousie is a film version of one of a number of popular operettas starring the Spanish popular music idol of the late 1940s, Luis Mariano. Although the film now looks somewhat dated and unsophisticated, it was hugely successful in its day, and its blend of comedy, romantic drama and music is not unappealing. Extensive location filming... [More...]

Le Plaisir (1952)

Although unmistakably a classic of French cinema, Le plaisir is marginally less satisfying than Ophül’s other attempts at films tableaux (La Ronde and Madame de…) – probably because the theme linking the three segments of the film is somewhat insubstantial. ‘Self-delusion’ would appear to be a better and more accurate linking theme than ‘pleasure’... [More...]

Les Belles de nuit (1952)

Already renowned for his acutely surreal and optimistic view of life, director René Clair surpassed himself with this outlandish romantic fantasy. As French matinee idol Gérard Philipe is propelled through history and cardboard Freudian dreamscapes, into the arms of such beauties as Martine Carol and Gina Lollobrigida... [More...]

Le Carrosse d'or (1953)

Le Carrosse d’Or is the film which marked the return of Jean Renoir to European film-making after his 13 year stay in the United States. It is a lavish production, beautifully filmed in colour, with music provided by Vivaldi. The film was made in English and filmed in Rome, and three versions of the film were released (in English... [More...]

Le Printemps, l'automne et l'amour (1955)

This lesser known Fernandel comedy features the great French comic hero in one of his most poignant roles. The fragility of the May to September love affair is beautifully characterised, with enchanting performances from Fernandel and Nicole Berger, although it is perhaps Claude Nollier’s portrayal of the sharp-tongued and manipulative sister-in-law who steals the show.... [More...]

Elena et les hommes (1956)

On the surface this appears to be a virtual remake of La règle du jeu, Renoir’s 1930s classic. Whilst there are many similarities, in terms of the characters and plot, the films are actually only superficially similar, and there is no doubt that Éléna et les hommes is no where near as good as that earlier film... [More...]

La Vie à deux (1958)

This multi-part film with an impressive star-studied cast lacks the feel of a satisfying whole, but it is so full of magical little moments that that hardly seems to matter. Written by Sacha Guitry, a luminary of French cinema and a distinguished writer in his own right, the film has some sparkling dialogue which is brought to life by some amazing acting talent... [More...]

Un drôle de dimanche (1958)

This highly entertaining sentimental comedy provides a veritable conflux for some of the finest talent in French cinema, which includes Bourvil, Arletty, Danielle Darrieux and Jean-Paul Belmondo. All four actors are on fine form and the film itself is a pleasing mélange of drama and comedy, sometimes intensely poignant... [More...]

À bout de souffle (1959)

This is arguably one of the dozen or so most influential films of the twentieth century. The contrast with everything that went before A bout de souffle is stunning, in terms of plot structure, content, direction and camera work. This is Jean-Luc Godard at his most anarchistic, although – ironically – the film begins as what appears to be a conventional gangster film... [More...]

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