Julien Duvivier in the Thirties: Eclipse 44
Criterion’s latest Eclipse set showcases a neglected master of pre-New Wave French film, Julien Duvivier; the four films here are stylistically adventurous and have great emotional […]
Review: Un carnet de bal (1937)
Director: Julien Duvivier
Cast: Harry Baur, Marie Bell, Pierre Blanchar, Fernandel, Louis Jouvet,
Harry Baur
Marie Bell
Pierre Blanchar
Fernandel
Louis Jouvet
Plot: After the death of her husband, Christine realizes she has possibly wasted her life by marrying him instead of the man towards whom, in her youth, she had a stronger inclination. To overcome these dreary thoughts, she decides to find out about him and the other men who danced with her during a ball that was a turning point in her life, many years ago. She pays a visit to those forgotten acquaintances one after the other; Christine is not only surprised to see how they have fared, but also discovers the impact she had, unknowingly, on the feelings and the destiny of these persons. Duvivier's American film Lydia (1941) is, to some extent, a remake of this one.
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