Casque d’or

Genre: crime and romance drama (in black and white)

With: Simone Signoret (Marie, a.k.a. ‟Casque d'or”), Serge Reggiani (Georges Manda), Claude Dauphin (Félix Leca), Raymond Bussières (Raymond), William Sabatier (Roland Dupuis), Paul Barge (Inspector Juliani), Odette Barencey (Mother Eugène), Gaston Modot (Danard), Loleh Bellon (Léonie Danard), Jean Clarieux (Paul)

Director: Jacques Becker

Screenplay: Jacques Becker, Jacques Companéez, Annette Wademant and Romi

Release: 1952

Studio: Spéva Films, Paris-Film Production, Robert and Raymond Hakim

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.7/10

  

A Woman They Could Kill for 

 

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Story-line: the setting is France during the Belle Époque. On a glorious Sunday afternoon, a  close-knit group of men and women arrives at a riverside café. They all look quite content except for one couple, sexy Marie the prostitute and bossy Roland who treats her like dirt. At the café, one member of the group, Raymond, chances upon Georges Manda, an old buddy from reform school. While they chat, Georges notices Marie and she stares at him intensely. Yes, love is in the air… but Roland, as jealous and quick-tempered as he is, doesn’t intend to be a pushover.    

Pluses: excellent performances by the great Simone Signoret (as the sharply-dressed, sharp-tongued Marie), an intense Serge Reggiani, a ruthless Claude Dauphin and a strong supporting cast, top-notch direction, a complex and brilliant screenplay full of spicy dialogues, interesting details and well-drawn characters, true-to-life production values, an effective musical score embracing different styles (popular tunes, romantic interludes, operatic flourishes) and a potent ending.

Minuses: none I can think of. In a literal sense, ‟Casque d'or” means ‟helmet of gold”, a clear reference to Marie’s blond head of hair.

Comments: CASQUE D’OR contains all the elements of a French classic – magnetic protagonists, a torrid love story, rivalries, lust, danger, violence – and is indeed considered a magnum opus in cinema. There is a lot to this movie I cannot reveal because I don’t want to spoil it for you. Why is Manda hiding behind a new identity? The group of revellers at the café… who are they really and what is their connection with Félix Leca, the dealer in wines and spirits? And Marie, is she just playing games, with all those men hovering around her? Jacques Becker’s film will speak to your heart – and to your mind – with its stunning scenes, vigorous drama and flights of lyricism worthy of CARMEN or TOSCA in the world of opera. 

 

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