1139 Hôtel du Nord

[swo17]

Hôtel du Nord



Anguished young lovers, fallen women, wanted criminals, and all manner of social castoffs: these are the disreputable denizens of the Hôtel du Nord, an atmospherically seedy boardinghouse on the bustling banks of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, whose lives collide in Marcel Carné's bittersweet rhapsody of romance, betrayal, revelry, and violence. Featuring evocative production design by the famed Alexandre Trauner and a colorful ensemble cast of some of classical French cinema's most illustrious stars—including Annabella, Louis Jouvet, and a divinely dissolute Arletty in one of her most iconic roles—poetic-realist jewel Hôtel du Nord is a sublime exemplar of Carné's celebrated poetic realism, imbuing working-class lives and dramas with a touching nobility.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• New conversation between filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie) and journalist Philippe Morisson
• Television program from 1972 on the making of the film
• Documentary from 1994 on the life and career of director Marcel Carné
• Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by film and theater scholar Edward Baron Turk

[L.A.]

Beaver.

[Finch]

Tooze could have requested a review copy of the Arrow anytime he wanted. But I seem to recall tenia saying the Arrow was derived from a 4k restoration so it's probably the same source.

[domino harvey]

Sad to see so little discussion of this in either this or the Arrow thread, because I loved this. I know all anyone wants to talk about with Carne from this period is "poetic realism" but it's the terrific dialogue from a cavalcade of unusual and amusing characters here that really shines brightest. Was stunned that the familiar looking young gay man in the film was Francois Perier, which I didn't realize until it was pointed out in the Jeunet extra. Speaking of, I can see why Jeunet was tapped into talk about Carne given his obvious fanboy appreciations (and repeated reminders of scenes from his films that consciously echoed Carne), but I kinda wish he'd let the crew filming his various Carne shrines capture more of the archival documents, art works, etc on display!

[Matt]

There was definitely discussion of the film on one of the pre-2005 incarnations of the forum, from when it was released in France on DVD (around 2002). It was mostly about the dialogue, and there is a marked difference between the doom and gloom of screenwriterJacques Prévert (who was essentially the originator and embodiment of poetic realism) and Henri Jeanson (who trafficked in much breezier and/or naturalistic dialogue, though he perhaps set the template for Prévert with Pépé le Moko).

[therewillbeblus]

Thanks, domino, for the prod to give this another look. I was blown away too - the dialogue is rich and a significant aid in creating the punching effect, but I also think this is the best application of Carné’s poetic style that I’ve seen. The way characters are attended to is so gentle yet crisply honest and palpable. Many scenes - like the two criminals sussing out intel in the bar, for example - would be treated as a compact and routine bore in most crime dramas, but much care and intrigue is applied there that it’s fascinating on every level: technique, interest in character, tension.. same goes for the romantic walks with Robert and the woman who’s made him believe he can tap into something new, shot as both tragic and deeply empathetic and in favor of the effort - or at least the impermanent moments or bliss permitted from the feeling. And this is translated perfectly, ethereal yet tactile, way before his final expression of gratitude seals the theme. This felt a lot like an extremely-grounded Breathless for reasons I’m having trouble expressing but that have to do with the emotional vulnerabilities being shared and shielded, with perhaps less existential obfuscation against one’s environment but still plenty of simplified exhibitions of these conflicts (not a dig, fully-bared is not necessarily easier or less intelligent than making them complicated). And it’s some of the best ensemble acting I’ve seen in a film from this era, which sells the whole thing.