Miquette et sa mère (1950)

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Movie
Original title Miquette et sa mère
Country of production France
original language French
Publishing year 1950
length 95 minutes
Rod
Director Henri-Georges Clouzot
script Henri-Georges Clouzot
Jean Ferry
production Paul-Edmond Decharme
Raymond Borderie
Robert Dorfmann
music Albert Lasry
camera Armand Thirard
cut Monique Kirsanoff
occupation

Miquette et sa mère is a 1949 French drama directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot with Danièle Delorme in the title role. The story is based on the three-act play Miquette et sa mère (1906) by Robert de Flers and Gaston Arman de Caillavet .

action

In a small French town around 1900. A small, traveling acting troupe is currently guesting here, led by the somewhat self-important and pompous actor Monchablon, who also loves theatrical appearances away from the stage. For the common people, the popular piece “Le Cid” is given, which Monchablon has rewritten and at the same time granted himself sole authorship. Young Miquette Grandier and her widowed mother Hermine, who run a tobacco shop together in town, are among the theatergoers. Miquette is enthusiastic about the play, the stage atmosphere and the acting itself, while her mother Hermione is not very enthusiastic about the immoral tendencies that are supposedly conveyed by the play. Miquette has a secret admirer, the shy and slightly contaminated Count Urbain de la Tour Mirande. Miquette also secretly raves about him. Neither of them know of the other's interests. One day the two manage to declare their love for each other in a rather cumbersome way, and as a result they want to get married. But Urbain's imperious uncle, the Marquis Aldebert de la Tour Mirande, at whose castle Urbain also lives, is strictly against it.

The old man, who is in charge of the family, is in the process of arranging a marriage between his limited nephew and an unattractive, but at least wealthy lady. The spineless Urbain can be coupled without resistance. Miquette feels betrayed and wants to take revenge on Urbain by going to Paris and realizing her dream of becoming an actress. With this she is secretly doing the old marquis a favor, as he kills two birds with one stone: the nephew marries the other, and the lustful old man Aldebert, who himself has a great interest in Miquette, now has free rein with her, he believes . He offers Miquette to take her to his city villa in Paris and pave her way to the theater. Miquette goes into this. She hastily packs her suitcase, writes a farewell letter to her mother and follows the Marquis into the “den of sin” Paris. Madame Grenier, seriously concerned about the moral well-being of Miquette, will travel to her at once. She desperately wants to bring her daughter back to her country. Contrary to expectations, the old Marquis succeeds in charming Hermione in such a way that she forgets all her good intentions and now joins Monsieur Monchablon's troop herself to sniff the stage air.

Meanwhile, Marquis Aldebert's efforts are shipwrecked at Miquette, who steadfastly refuses to pursue his lustful pursuits. Nephew Urbain also arrives in his uncle's pompous town villa to solicit Miquette vigorously with newly blossomed interest, albeit greatly exaggerating. Half a year later, Miquette and her mother are on tour through the country again with Monchablons troops and appear in southern France in the historical play "The siege of La Rochelle by the troops of Cardinal Richelieu". A lot goes haywire during the performance, both on and behind the stage. Hermine Grandier is late for a performance and explains the reason that she gambled away the entire tour income of 40,000 francs in the casino. Urbain is also back and tries one more time to win Miquette's heart. In the end, everything falls into place: the old Marquis gives up his hopes of ending up with Miquette and tries, this time more successfully, with her mother, who has got rid of her financial worries. Miquette and Urbain can still find each other. Monsieur Monchablon, however, remains the love of the theater and the memory of his great stage successes.

Production notes

The shooting of Miquette et sa mère began on September 5, 1949 and ended on November 18 of the same year, the world premiere took place on April 14, 1950. The film was never shown in Germany.

Georges Wakhévitch designed the film sets and costumes. Paul Joly and Georges Charlot were the production managers.

The film is considered one of the few flops by its director Clouzot.

reception

“Henri-Georges Clouzot, a director who was said to be profoundly lacking in humor (which he himself frankly confirmed) made a comedy in the fall of 1949 - the only one of his career. MIQUETTE ET SA MÈRE… had little success with both critics and audiences, was a bit forgotten and is now considered one of Clouzot's weakest films. In view of previous (LE CORBEAU, QUAI DES ORFÈVRES) and subsequent feats (LE SALAIRE DE LA PEUR, LES DIABOLIQUES), MIQUETTE ET SA MÈRE could actually be described as a hangover. But that wouldn't do him justice, because the film isn't that bad. "

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Miquette et sa mère on blogspot.com

Web links