Change Your Image
davidhare-1
Reviews
L'étrange Madame X (1951)
Physicality and mise-en-scene
Thanks DB For me the big surprise is the virtually archetypal "Cinema de Qualite"/Studio look of the film - extreme low contrast, highly lit "luxe". The mise-en scene otherwise is quite unlike earlier Gremillons - no whip pans, anticipatory or reactive camera movements,etc and what seems like fairly routine decoupage based scene construction. Certainly compared to, say, Gueule d'Amour there is no change in the pearly tonalities of the image.
But the focus on the actors' physicality, in particular Henri Vidal is pushing my gaydar way into the red. There's something going on here behind the obvious. Gremillon's camera seems to give him the attention and the unblinkingly loving eye that Grem only otherwise gives to men - very briefly - in the opening prison scene of la Petite Lise, or the handsome dancing stranger who "takes" the Gypsy girl Zita during the ball scene in Maldone. Or the final image of Gabin and Rene Lefevre together at the end of Gueule. Many more viewings required however.