A deserter (Jean Gabin) from the Army arrives at a small port town of Le Havre with no clear plans for his future. He meets a young girl (the radiant Michele Morgan) and they fall in love. But the girl's lecherous guardian (Michel Simon, who can make your flesh crawl) and a small time thug (Pierre Brasseur) stand in their way of happiness. Marcel Carne's (
LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS) fatalistic romance signals its intentions early on yet one can't help but hope against hope that there's a place for these lovers somewhere but the ending when it comes is heartbreaking. The film is both lyrical and harsh, permeated by a sense of hopelessness yet an emotionalism that cuts through the despair. Is there a more powerful screen presence than Jean Gabin? Perhaps Bogart but he was nowhere near the actor Gabin was and he lacked those liquid eyes of Gabin that can either make your blood run cold or melt your heart. One of the great treasures of French cinema. The wonderful score is by Maurice Jaubert.
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