After being left speechless by co-writer/(along with Charles Vildrac) directing auteur Julien Duvivier's Chair de Poule and The Burning Court,I decided to take a look at his IMDb page,in the hope of finding a Duvivier title that I could watch for a poll being held on IMDbs Classic Film board for the best movies of 1934.Discovering that Duvivier had made 2 flicks that year,I went rushing round for the film which would allow me to get aboard the S.S Tenacity.
Note:Since the titles lone IMDb review,I am pleased to say that a new print of the movie has appeared,which does not feature Japanese subtitles,and has a running time of 70 minutes,not the 85 that IMDb claim.
The plot:
Walking out of a cinema, Bastien and Ségard begin talking about leaving depression-era France behind,to get aboard a boat that will take them to an exciting new world.Bouncing ideas off each other, Bastien and Ségard decide that Canada will be the land of their opportunity.Quitting their job as set designers on film sets, Bastien and Ségard go & book a ticket for the S.S. Tenacity,which is a ship heading for Canada in a few days time.Running into a shipmate called Hidoux, Bastien and Ségard are told that instead of heading back to their city,they should stay at a near by hotel,until the ship sets sail in a few days time.Arriving to the hotel, Bastien and Ségard meet a girl called Thérèse,and soon find out that their friendship may set sail before the boat does.
View on the film:
Opening with a beautiful crane shot which takes the viewer out of the cinema screen,and into the audience,co-writer/(along with Charles Vildrac) directing auteur Julien Duvivier gives the film an extraordinary rustic atmosphere,thanks to Duvivier filming on location,which allows the movie to soak up all of the nervous street talk that was taking place,as France entered a serve era.Along with the naturalistic style of the movie,Duvivier also paves the path to the Film Noir world that he would soon take,as Duvivier shows Bastien and Ségard to be crumbling away from the bright movie lights,into darkness.Building a divide on the directions that Bastien and Ségard want to take in life,Duvivier peels away the clarity from the picture to subtly show the loss of focus in Bastien and Ségard trip to Canada.
Based on a stage play by co-writer Charles Vildrac,the writers give the movie a brilliant small town feel,with Bastien and Ségard's soon finding themselves becoming friends with Hidoux,and everyone at the hotel & boat yard warmly welcoming them.Building the separation between the guys with Thérèse,the writers stay away from hitting any sour notes in the romance,by making their bittersweet separation be one that is fuelled by both of them wanting to reach a bright new future,but on different routes,which will lead to only one of them stepping aboard the S.S. Tenacity.
Note:Since the titles lone IMDb review,I am pleased to say that a new print of the movie has appeared,which does not feature Japanese subtitles,and has a running time of 70 minutes,not the 85 that IMDb claim.
The plot:
Walking out of a cinema, Bastien and Ségard begin talking about leaving depression-era France behind,to get aboard a boat that will take them to an exciting new world.Bouncing ideas off each other, Bastien and Ségard decide that Canada will be the land of their opportunity.Quitting their job as set designers on film sets, Bastien and Ségard go & book a ticket for the S.S. Tenacity,which is a ship heading for Canada in a few days time.Running into a shipmate called Hidoux, Bastien and Ségard are told that instead of heading back to their city,they should stay at a near by hotel,until the ship sets sail in a few days time.Arriving to the hotel, Bastien and Ségard meet a girl called Thérèse,and soon find out that their friendship may set sail before the boat does.
View on the film:
Opening with a beautiful crane shot which takes the viewer out of the cinema screen,and into the audience,co-writer/(along with Charles Vildrac) directing auteur Julien Duvivier gives the film an extraordinary rustic atmosphere,thanks to Duvivier filming on location,which allows the movie to soak up all of the nervous street talk that was taking place,as France entered a serve era.Along with the naturalistic style of the movie,Duvivier also paves the path to the Film Noir world that he would soon take,as Duvivier shows Bastien and Ségard to be crumbling away from the bright movie lights,into darkness.Building a divide on the directions that Bastien and Ségard want to take in life,Duvivier peels away the clarity from the picture to subtly show the loss of focus in Bastien and Ségard trip to Canada.
Based on a stage play by co-writer Charles Vildrac,the writers give the movie a brilliant small town feel,with Bastien and Ségard's soon finding themselves becoming friends with Hidoux,and everyone at the hotel & boat yard warmly welcoming them.Building the separation between the guys with Thérèse,the writers stay away from hitting any sour notes in the romance,by making their bittersweet separation be one that is fuelled by both of them wanting to reach a bright new future,but on different routes,which will lead to only one of them stepping aboard the S.S. Tenacity.
