SYNOPSIS: Supposedly set in 1930 when silents were transitioning into talkies, Édith Piaf plays a household drudge who discontentedly dubs the singing voice of a big-time movie star. But when she is finally given her big chance to step into the limelight
COMMENT: The chief problem with this film is its unwieldy cast. In order to accommodate Jules Berry, Serge Reggiani, Mila Parély, Yves Montand and Marcel Herrand, the screenplay has been unmercifully padded out with unnecessarily long speeches for everyone (particularly Jules Berry, Serge Reggiani and Marcel Herrand). Reggiani is even given an extremely long and totally superfluous scene with Georges Vitray. True, thanks to Vitray it does have an occasional spark, but we get tired of looking at the back of his head while he's sounding off, so that the camera can fill the screen with Reggiani's face instead. It's not a handsome or interesting face anyway!
The only players who emerge with unqualified merit from this talk-fest are Yves Montand and Mila Parély. Miss Parély is not only beautiful but thoroughly convincing. One the other hand, Montand (who is making his movie debut here) doesn't need to be convincing. He is intrinsically charismatic and doesn't require screen-hogging, marking-time speeches. Unfortunately, he doesn't sing. All the songs are left to Edith Piaf. Personally, I don't think she was well served by Étoile sans lumière. Her voice is not well recorded and comes across with a displeasingly gritty, grating quality in addition to its natural throaty timbre.
Maybe, I'm picky, but in addition to the multitude of mile-long speeches infesting this movie, I have another gripe. As you see from the synopsis, it's supposed to be set in 1930 when musicals were all the rage and silent stars (such as portrayed here by the lovely Mila) were making the transition to sound, and musicals were often dubbed with real singers (a practice that continued right through to 1964's My Fair Lady and maybe beyond). The problem is that after an initial cinema scene soon after the credits, absolutely no attempt is made to have the movie look like it is set in 1930. Sets and costumes all reflect the fashions of 1946. I kept forgetting we were in 1930 and at least four or five times, I was caught out by odd references and peculiar plot developments until I realized that despite all the 1946 fashions on display, we were supposedly back in the flapper era.
COMMENT: The chief problem with this film is its unwieldy cast. In order to accommodate Jules Berry, Serge Reggiani, Mila Parély, Yves Montand and Marcel Herrand, the screenplay has been unmercifully padded out with unnecessarily long speeches for everyone (particularly Jules Berry, Serge Reggiani and Marcel Herrand). Reggiani is even given an extremely long and totally superfluous scene with Georges Vitray. True, thanks to Vitray it does have an occasional spark, but we get tired of looking at the back of his head while he's sounding off, so that the camera can fill the screen with Reggiani's face instead. It's not a handsome or interesting face anyway!
The only players who emerge with unqualified merit from this talk-fest are Yves Montand and Mila Parély. Miss Parély is not only beautiful but thoroughly convincing. One the other hand, Montand (who is making his movie debut here) doesn't need to be convincing. He is intrinsically charismatic and doesn't require screen-hogging, marking-time speeches. Unfortunately, he doesn't sing. All the songs are left to Edith Piaf. Personally, I don't think she was well served by Étoile sans lumière. Her voice is not well recorded and comes across with a displeasingly gritty, grating quality in addition to its natural throaty timbre.
Maybe, I'm picky, but in addition to the multitude of mile-long speeches infesting this movie, I have another gripe. As you see from the synopsis, it's supposed to be set in 1930 when musicals were all the rage and silent stars (such as portrayed here by the lovely Mila) were making the transition to sound, and musicals were often dubbed with real singers (a practice that continued right through to 1964's My Fair Lady and maybe beyond). The problem is that after an initial cinema scene soon after the credits, absolutely no attempt is made to have the movie look like it is set in 1930. Sets and costumes all reflect the fashions of 1946. I kept forgetting we were in 1930 and at least four or five times, I was caught out by odd references and peculiar plot developments until I realized that despite all the 1946 fashions on display, we were supposedly back in the flapper era.