Pierre Brasseur Movies

Pierre Brasseur plays the "mad monk" Rasputin -- or "Raspoutine" -- in this French historical melodrama. Insinuating himself into the court of the Romanoffs in early-20th-century Russia, Rasputin is able to gain enormous power through his apparent ability to heal the hemophiliac son of the Czarina (Isa Miranda). Taking advantage of his clout, the unkempt, barely literate Rasputin embarks on a series of orgies and debaucheries. A group of Russian nobles conspire to murder Rasputin and save the monarchy -- but as history records, Rasputin was not so easily bumped off. Despite his monstrous behavior, Rasputin is depicted as a man who genuinely came to believe in his own "holiness," and who desperately strived to bring peace and stability to Russia before his assassination. With both eyes on the box office, director Georges Combret manages to slip a modicum of female nudity into the film's bacchanal scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Playwright Jean Anouilh was the guiding force behind the unorthodox murder mystery Le Rideau Rouge (The Red Curtain) During a provincial theatre production of Macbeth, several tragedies occur. The actors attribute these calamities to the "curse" supposedly hanging over the Shakespeare play, but police inspector Jean Brochard doesn't buy this. The plot's framework allows Anouilh to explore the differences and similarities between life on the stage and life in earnest. The cast includes Michel Simon as a despicable director (and first murder victim), Moneille Valentin as Simon's drug-addicted mistress, and Pierre Brasseur as a weakling actor who hides his failings by putting on a charade of bravado. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The works of Guy de Maupassant have likely been adapted by more French filmmakers than those of any other author (with the possible exception of Georges Simenon). Max Ophuls harnesses three Maupassant short stories to suit his artistic purposes in Le Plaisir (House of Pleasure). In "The Mask," an aging lothario (Jean Galland) learns more about himself than he cares to when he dons a mask to cover his wrinkles. In "The House of Madame Tellier," the proprietress of a brothel (Madeline Renaud) closes up shop one day for an unusual (for her) personal mission. And in "The Model," both the title character (Simone Simon) and her artist-lover (Daniel Gelin) pay the price for her romantic impulsiveness. Each of the playlets in Le Plaisir explore conflicting sides of human nature -- a theme common to both the works of Maupassant and the films of Ophuls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It has been said that French filmmaker Christian-Jacque specialized in two types of films: romantic mysteries and the celebration of historical artifacts. Souvenirs Perdus(1951) falls into both categories. The titular "lost souvenirs" are four unclaimed items, left in the Paris lost-and-found department. Each item has a story all its own, as Christian-Jacque entertainingly demonstrates. The first story concerns a pair of elderly lovers; the second is all about a police officer who pines over a beautiful girl; the third is a grim tale of the fateful meeting between a murderer and a potential suicide; and the fourth is the lighthearted saga of a playboy who finally outsmarts himself. Starring in these vignettes are such Gallic favorites as Pierre Brasseur, Bernard Blier, Yves Montand, Gerard Philipe and Suzy Delair. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a stage play, Maitre Apres Dieu concentrates on a mercenary cargo-ship captain, played by Pierre Brasseur. The skipper experiences a life-altering epiphany when he reluctantly agrees to transport a human cargo, consisting of Jewish refugees. His new-found faith in the Almighty is seriously challenged as one country after another refuses to assume the responsibility for his passengers. When first presented on Broadway, Maitre Apres Dieu (Skipper After God) starred John Garfield in the Pierre Brasseur role. Contemporary reviews indicate that Garfield was somewhat more effective than his cinematic counterpart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three powerhouse European screen personalities--Pierre Brasseur, Erich Von Stroheim, Maria Montez---elevate the tawdry melodramatics of Le Portrait d'Un Assassin. Brasseur plays Fabius, a reckless motorcycle driver, currently working in a carnival. When he begins to "choke up" in front of the crowd, Fabius decides it would be best to quit his job and leave for parts unknown. But first he must rid himself of his nagging wife. Attempting to kill his missus, he accidentally wounds carnival owner Catherine (Maria Montez). Fabius decides to continue risking his life when he falls for Catherine, who is "turned on" only by men in dangerous professions. Von Stroheim plays Eric, one of Catherine's ex-lovers, now hopelessly paralyzed. His tendency to "ham" confined by a body brace, Von Stroheim delivers one of his most effective performances. According to contemporary reports, Le Portrait d'Un Assassin was to have been directed by Orson Welles, who presumably would have also played the Pierre Brasseur role (though it would have been fun to see him in the Erich Von Stroheim part--or, for that matter, to watch him try to direct Von Stroheim). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This French romantic melodrama moved a bit too slowly for American audiences, but its original Gallic fans were more than satisfied. Maria Casares stars as Therese, who after being deserted by her lover decides to get her revenge on the world by denying her younger sister Nicole (Claude Larue) any form of male companionship. Finally rebelling against her sister's domination, Nicole takes violent action. By rights, she should be punished to the full extent of the law, but her friends and neighbors, who've been on Nicole's side from the beginning, won't let that happen. Pierre Brasseur heads the cast as a philosophical beachcomber named "Twelve Apostles." Love Locked Out was filmed on location in a French coastal town, adding a bit of verisimilitude to the contrivances of the script. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title of this French domestic comedy translates as Noah's Ark, but there's nothing remotely Biblical about the film. Much of the action takes place aboard a ramshackle houseboat, owned by a very large family. The fun begins when an "outsider" falls in love with one of the family members. Based on a novel by Albert Paraz, L'Arche de Noe bears a slight resemblance to the 1944 Hollywood film Sunday Dinner for a Soldier. Many of its comic situations would resurface in the 1958 Cary GrantSophia Loren vehicle Houseboat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Even in 1945, Marcel Carné's Children of Paradise was regarded as an old-fashioned film. Set in the Parisian theatrical world of the 1840s, Jacques Prévert's screenplay concerns four men in love with the mysterious Garance (Arletty). Each loves Garance in his own fashion, but only the intentions of sensitive mime-actor Deburau (Jean-Louis Barrault) are entirely honorable; as a result, it is he who suffers most, hurdling one obstacle after another in pursuit of an evidently unattainable goal. In the stylized fashion of 19th-century French drama, many grand passions are spent during the film's totally absorbing 195 minutes. Amazingly, the film was produced over a two-year period in virtual secrecy, without the knowledge of the Nazis then occupying France, who would surely have arrested several of the cast and production staff members (including Prévert) for their activities in the Resistance. Children of Paradise has gone on to become one of the great romantic classics of international cinema. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide