Claude Laydu Movies
Belgian actor Claude Laydu played leads in a number of French films during the '50s. He was typically cast as a sensitive fellow and is best remembered for playing a clergyman in Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest (1950). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Italian director Pietro Francisci directed this 1954 drama about the fifth-century invasion of Rome by Attila the Hun. Anthony Quinn stars as the legendary barbaric King of the Huns who wreaked havoc upon Rome, threatening to topple the entire empire. Sophia Loren costars as Honoria, the beautiful young woman whose help is enlisted by Pope Leo I and may be the only person who can end Attila's rampage. Also starring Henri Vidal and Irene Papas, Attila, il flagello di Dio was released in the United States as Attila. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Sophia Loren, (more)
- 1953
La Route Napoleon is a lampoon of the aggressive sales tactics adopted by the French tourism industry. Go-getting publicity flack Martel (Pierre Fresnay) hits upon a clever scheme to boost the tourist trade along the coast of France. He arranges a group of sightseeing tours around the route taken by Napoleon during his 1815 flight from Elba. He then sets up a series of "authentic" historical sites along the way, the better to separate the tourists from their money. The irony of it all is that when Martel comes across a site where Napoleon actually stayed during his journey, the owners refuse to allow the building to be exploited. Undaunted, Martel decides to turn the next town up the road into the hub of all tourist activities. The changes brought upon the nonplused residents of this heretofore sleepy village is the source of most of the film's comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Fresnay, Claude Laydu, (more)
- 1952
Originally titled Nous Sommes Tout des Assassins, We Are All Murderers was directed by Andre Cayette, a former lawyer who detested France's execution system. Charles Spaak's screenplay makes no attempt to launder the four principal characters (Marcel Mouloudji, Raymond Pellegrin, Antoinine Balpetre, Julien Verdeir): never mind the motivations, these are all hardened murderers. Still, the film condemns the sadistic ritual through which these four men are brought to the guillotine. In France, the policy is to never tell the condemned man when the execution will occur--and then to show up without warning and drag the victim kicking and screaming to his doom, without any opportunity to make peace with himself or his Maker. By the end of this harrowing film, the audience feels as dehumanized as the four "protagonists." We are All Murderers was roundly roasted by the French law enforcement establishment, but it won a special jury prize at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcel Mouloudji, Raymond Pellegrin, (more)
- 1951
Banker Fournier Pierre Fresnay prefers to spend his spare time at home. But Fournier's wife Yvonne Printemps is possessed of a wandering spirit. After much pleading and cajoling, she convinces Fournier to accompany her on a trip to America, where their daughter lives. The comedy arises from Fournier's attempts to expedite the journey without going through the usual political channels. Director Henri Lavorel is not afraid to use slapstick to make his points; one wishes, however, that Lavorel had injected a little more variety into the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Fresnay, Yvonne Printemps, (more)
An austere look at the experiences of a young priest in a small French parish, Robert Bresson's masterly Le Journal d'un curé de campagne (Diary of a Country Priest) presents a powerful, complex exploration of faith underneath a deceptively simple exterior. Drawn from a novel by Georges Bernanos, the film centers on the priest of Ambricourt (Claude Laydu), a withdrawn, devout young man whose social awkwardness leaves him isolated from the community he is meant to serve. Further problems derive from the priest's ill health, which limits him to a diet of bread and wine and hinders his ability to perform his duties. Growing sicker and increasingly uncertain about his purpose in life, the priest undergoes a crisis of faith that threatens to drive him away from his village and from God. Bresson presents his spiritual tale in a minimalist, unadorned style, relying on a rigorous series of stripped-down shots and utilizing non-actors in many of the supporting roles. The approach may initially seem distancing or ponderous to a contemporary audience, but the cumulative impact of the brilliant visuals and Laydu's powerful, restrained performance is unquestionable. Almost universally acclaimed, this searching drama is generally considered one of Bresson's finest works and a crucial classic of world cinema. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claude Laydu, André Guibert, (more)
