Nez de cuir (1952)
Directed by Yves Allégret

Film Review

With his adaptation of Jean de La Varende's 1936 historical novel Nez-de-Cuir, director Yves Allégret shows little of the flair of his previous films and appears content to turn out a routine 'quality' melodrama, of the kind that the young firebrand critic François Truffaut would rail against in his famous diatribes.  Nez de cuir has some stunning production values (the sets and costumes are excellent), an admirable cast headed by Jean Marais, one of France's most respected actors, and yet it fails to have much of an impact.  The main problem is an over-wordy script that has too many scenes in which two characters sit (or stand) exchanging huge, mostly uninteresting chunks of dialogue for what seems like an eternity.  How the actors managed to stay awake during some of these verbal exchanges is anyone's guess.  Allégret makes some half-hearted attempts to connect the film with Cocteau's La Belle et la Bête (1946), which might explain Marais' casting in the lead role, but because most of the acting is unflinchingly monotonous and the script so horrendously stilted you scarcely notice any similarity with Cocteau's film.  Lavish in its design but almost intolerably insipid in every other department, Nez de cuir is an almost perfect example of the kind of soulless cinéma de qualité that the Nouvelle vague would react against.

Film Synopsis

Among the many who lie dead or dying on a battlefield in 1814 is Roger de Tinchebraye.  Although he survives his injuries, Roger is badly scarred and Dr Marchal can do nothing to save his once beautiful face.  Before the war, Roger was a great womaniser but now he must hide his face behind a leather mask.  Although everyone calls him Leather-nose, Roger finds he still has lost none of his powers of seduction.  His charm is intact and he has acquired a certain mystique which women are captivated by.  One of his latest admirers is Hélène Josias, whose niece Judith is also attracted to him and even dreams of marrying him.  Roger is moved by the young woman's proposal but cannot accept, for he knows he can never remain faithful to one woman.  When Judith accepts an offer of marriage from the older Marquis de Brives, Roger realises that he loves her and conceives a plan to stay close to her...