Le Crime de Monsieur Lange
1936
Told in flashback, this dramatic story revolves around the author Lange who is exploited by his ruthless boss who eventually may cause the downfall of his publishing house but disaster is averted by Lange's talent and the political will of the workforce who form a cooperative... Read more
| Starring | Rene Lefevre, Jules Berry, Florelle, Jean Daste |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean Renoir |
| Genres | World Cinema |
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Le Crime de Monsieur Lange
Told in flashback, this dramatic story revolves around the author Lange who is exploited by his ruthless boss who eventually may cause the downfall of his publishing house but disaster is averted by Lange's talent and the political will of the workforce who form a cooperative...
| Starring | Rene Lefevre, Jules Berry, Florelle, Jean Daste, Maurice Baquet |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean Renoir |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 16 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: French |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Sep 2004 Production year: 1936 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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This black comedy belongs to the optimistic phase of French film-making in the 1930s known as “poetic realism”. Reflecting director Jean Renoir's enthusiasm for the new government of the left-wing Popular Front, it shows how the workers successfully take over a pulp publishing house on the reported death of its exploitative owner. Jules Berry, as the brutal boss, and René Lefèvre, as the writer whose “Arizona Jim” westerns revive the company's fortunes, are exceptional. However, the film's greatness rests on Renoir's masterly use of deep focus photography, which brings vibrant life to every corner of the magnificent studio set.
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One of Renoir's most completely delightful movies (scripted by Jacques Prévert in the euphoria of the Popular Front... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Wrong review
The Radio Times review is not the review for this film. This is a Jean Renior directorial project with a vibrant script written by Jaques Prevert who usually worked with Marcel Carne (check out 'Les Enfants du Paradis'). This is mainly a character study of relationships and some of the humour seems a bit flat today. That said this is a lovely film with nice, relaxed acting performances. Not quite top drawer Renoir but very watchable nonetheless. Look out for the wonderful tracking shot as Monsieur Lang leaves the building to commit his 'crime' and the camera does a lovely pan to take in the whole courtyard cooperative. The political slant to the film should not be overlooked but it's liberalism rather than communism that sets up the cooperative as an alternative to greedy capitalism. The print of this film is a bit grainy and could have benefited from some restoration. And if you are looking for some background information there are no extras with this disc so you will have to look elsewhere.
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Most recent members' review
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[Highly rated reviewer]
A Little Charmer
This is a charming film by that master of cinema, Jean Renoir. For 1935 it's quite a salacious little number, with the girls certainly more forward than we like to think they were in the more demure past. The Monsieur Lange of the title is a dreaming cowboy book writer, of the penny dreadful kind, whose life is 'enhanced' when his stories become successful, thanks to the dubious help of his decadent boss, played in superbly melodramatic fashion by Jules Berry. Renoir manages, thanks to the considerable help of his cinematographer Jean Bachelet, to manufacture a minor gem from the fairly slight story, and the closing scene was surely copied by Chaplin in Modern Times a year later. Super stuff!
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Le Crime de Monsieur Lange
Told in flashback, this dramatic story revolves around the author Lange who is exploited by his ruthless boss who eventually may cause the downfall of his publishing house but disaster is averted by Lange's talent and the political will of the workforce who form a cooperative......
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