4 Nov 2015
Director: Marcel Carné
France
1939
90 min
A crucial film of the French poetic realism movement, Le Jour se Lève is an exquisitely crafted film noir describing an obsessive relationship that leads to a terrible crime, depicted at the start. Foundry worker François (Jean Gabin) flees from the scene of the crime and locks himself in his room, atop many flights of stairs, where he is tracked down quickly by the police. In a series of flashbacks, the film reveals the story of romance, intrigue and trickery that led to the crime. Often considered to be his greatest work, Marcel Carné’s fourth collaboration with screenwriter Jacques Prévert is an outstanding example of this classic style.