Le Corbeau (1943) ***1/2
In some ways, the history behind Henri-Georges Clouzot's Le Corbeau (The Raven) (1943) is more interesting than the film itself. Clouzot's film was banned after it was released, as it was "produced by Continental Films, a German production company established near the beginning of the Nazi Occupation of France, and because the film had been perceived by the underground and the Communist press as vilifying the French people. Because of this, Clouzot was initially banned for life from directing in France, but after protests only until 1947. The film was suppressed until 1969."* Even more fascinating is the fact that "although after the war Le Corbeau was banned and leftists supported keeping the ban in place, the film was screened in cineclubs throughout France and often drew thousands of moviegoers."*
The story of Le Corbeau involves mysterious poison pen letters, pointing accusations at select residents of a small town—in particular a doctor of having affairs and performing illegal abortions. This causes the suspicion and resentment of the town's citizens to build to frenzied heights, resulting in a kind of modern day Salem. It's all pretty engaging and the movie is quite good overall, but I found the acting uneven and a bit dated, the pace a bit slow, and the film not matching the quality of Clouzot's other masterpieces such as The Wages Of Fear (1953) and Diabolique (1955).
The story of Le Corbeau involves mysterious poison pen letters, pointing accusations at select residents of a small town—in particular a doctor of having affairs and performing illegal abortions. This causes the suspicion and resentment of the town's citizens to build to frenzied heights, resulting in a kind of modern day Salem. It's all pretty engaging and the movie is quite good overall, but I found the acting uneven and a bit dated, the pace a bit slow, and the film not matching the quality of Clouzot's other masterpieces such as The Wages Of Fear (1953) and Diabolique (1955).
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