Deciding to watch a number of works from Jacques Becker,I started trying to decide what would be the final viewing from my (current) Becker fest. Taking a look at other reviews on IMDb,I found out about an allegorical murder-mystery Film Noir shot by Becker during the Occupation of France,which led to me getting ready to meet the Goupi's.
View on the film:
Going on a train from Paris to the provinces of Charente, (a place almost on the border between Vichy and Nazi France) Jacques Becker's adaptation of Pierre Véry's novel dissects the Vichy's gov vast program for a rejuvenated nation growing out of the cities to the countryside.
Eugène's "cultured" city life is looked at with suspicion by the rest of the Goupi (who are possibly named after the Bandge Rogue/Red Gang-French Gestapo),who Becker brilliantly cuts allegorical as a law unto themselves,who keep outsides separate. Whilst digging up rural allegorical life,Becker stops the title from becoming dry by offering up an excellent bundle,of animated,oddball characters,which flow from the hilariously meek,way out of his depth Eugène,to the silent,crusty L'Empereur Goupi having a cheeky spark behind the eyes.
For what was only his second feature, Becker shows an impeccable grip on the major theme of loyalty to soon cover his future work,where the Film Noir wilderness that the Goupi's live in view speaking out/revealing family "secrets" as the ultimate form of betrayal.
Gliding round the countryside with the Goupi's,Becker & cinematographer Jean Bourgoin cast a frosty atmosphere over the outdoors,which subtly expresses the icy relationship the "all in the family" Goupi's have with the walking in the wild Eugène.
Backed by the operatic score from Jean Alfaro, Becker digs the Goupi's into murky Film Noir,where the Goupi's family house is covered in mouldy colours and dour, dried up shadows where the Goupi's keep their family activates from being seen in the light. Stepping off the train, Georges Rollin gives a superb,hilarious performance as Eugène,by Rollin making Eugène shake like a leaf from the mere glance of a Goupi. Trying to keep the family on track to her death, Germaine Kerjean gives a fantastic,blistering, pure battleaxe performance as Tisane,as the Goupi clan welcome an outsider.
View on the film:
Going on a train from Paris to the provinces of Charente, (a place almost on the border between Vichy and Nazi France) Jacques Becker's adaptation of Pierre Véry's novel dissects the Vichy's gov vast program for a rejuvenated nation growing out of the cities to the countryside.
Eugène's "cultured" city life is looked at with suspicion by the rest of the Goupi (who are possibly named after the Bandge Rogue/Red Gang-French Gestapo),who Becker brilliantly cuts allegorical as a law unto themselves,who keep outsides separate. Whilst digging up rural allegorical life,Becker stops the title from becoming dry by offering up an excellent bundle,of animated,oddball characters,which flow from the hilariously meek,way out of his depth Eugène,to the silent,crusty L'Empereur Goupi having a cheeky spark behind the eyes.
For what was only his second feature, Becker shows an impeccable grip on the major theme of loyalty to soon cover his future work,where the Film Noir wilderness that the Goupi's live in view speaking out/revealing family "secrets" as the ultimate form of betrayal.
Gliding round the countryside with the Goupi's,Becker & cinematographer Jean Bourgoin cast a frosty atmosphere over the outdoors,which subtly expresses the icy relationship the "all in the family" Goupi's have with the walking in the wild Eugène.
Backed by the operatic score from Jean Alfaro, Becker digs the Goupi's into murky Film Noir,where the Goupi's family house is covered in mouldy colours and dour, dried up shadows where the Goupi's keep their family activates from being seen in the light. Stepping off the train, Georges Rollin gives a superb,hilarious performance as Eugène,by Rollin making Eugène shake like a leaf from the mere glance of a Goupi. Trying to keep the family on track to her death, Germaine Kerjean gives a fantastic,blistering, pure battleaxe performance as Tisane,as the Goupi clan welcome an outsider.