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A prison escape flick that isn't very well-balanced. The minimalistic visuals take away from the tension while the overstated soundtrack makes the whole attempt to escape ridiculous at times. The film is slow, the acting is awkward and Becker simply goes through the motions. Quite painful to sit through.
While the film noir genre is mostly linked to US cinema, the French also had their fair share of representatives. Casque d'Or is considered a noir by many, and its plot certainly fits the description. Stylistically though, I felt this was quite a different beast, especially because of the rural setting. Marie is a famous prostitute in Paris. She is quite popular with the local criminals, but she wants a better life for herself. When she meets Manda, a young carpenter, she sees a way out. She hooks up with Manda and the two get along fine, but the other men won't be letting her go so easily. The film is quite light for a noir and the many rural settings don't really help with the tough exterior the genre is known for. The drama/romance elements don't really balance things out either. Simone Signoret is pretty decent, but the rest of the cast isn't on the same level. A pretty dull film.Read all