Casque d'Or (1952)

In an unspecified year in the era of the Belle Epòque, a lonesome carpenter is standing in an inn near Paris. He is raptured by the beauty of a blonde woman, who is dancing with another man. The two lock eyes: as she dances, she glances at him with a playful smile and he smiles back. This is the opening of Jacques Becker's Casque d'Or, a film bursting with erotic flame from start to finish. 

Georges Manda, the carpenter, is an ex-convict who has decided to start his life over. He is played by Serge Reggiani in a sublime, largely silent portrayal of quiet strength, subtle warmth and profound dignity. Marie, the woman, is a prostitute under the protection of a local criminal named Roland (William Sabatier, effective at portraying his character's vile, pathetic nature). She is played by Simone Signoret, whose incandescent, rightfully iconic performance earned her a well-deserved BAFTA for Best Foreign Actress. Roland becomes jealous of the growing attraction between Marie and Manda, and turns to the leader of his gang, Félix Leca (Claude Dauphin), for help. But Leca himself is longing to have Marie for himself. Dauphin gives an outstanding performance, portraying Leca with an enormous amount of charisma and self-confidence while hinting brilliantly at the sleekness and ruthlessness at the character's core. A duel between Manda and Roland is the catalyst for a series of events that will lead to tragedy. 

A fictionalized telling of a real event happened in 1902, the story of Casque d'Or is interesting and engaging enough to make the movie succeed on an entertainment level alone. But Jacques Becker manages to make it more than just a compelling tale of doomed love - his personal touch elevates it to a masterpiece in mood, atmospherics and subtle characterization, an entrancing artwork so vivid in its depiction of its setting and characters it transports the viewer into it. Becker captures brilliantly the tone of the story conveying the contradictions of the Belle Epòque: there's an air of splendour, beauty and grandeur but with an underlying hint of danger and instability. It's this undercurring feeling that gives Casque d'Or a thrilling pulse, as if tragedy was just waiting around the corner to strike. The aesthetic of the movie also contributes greatly to the movie's tone and there are some brilliantly conceived moments - such as the aforementioned duel, in which the desolated, almost empty setting where it takes place as well as the shadowy lighting enhance the tension of the scene, or the scenes that take place in the countryside, in which the luminous cinematography works in perfect tandem with the idea of that landscape as an hydillic place in which the love between the two protagonists can blossom. 

Speaking of the love story, Manda's and Marie's romance is one for the ages. It's also surprisingly modern for the time being: Casque d'Or is not a film that is afraid to explore sexuality and there's an erotic component to the story that is very usual for a movie made in 1952. There is no need for explicitness, and Becker elegantly fades to black right before the moments of physical intimacy. What he achieves is something even more sensual than a sex scene and he does it by focusing on the fleeting glances, the slight smiles, the subtle meaning behind casual words. It's not a sugar-coated Hollywood romance, but it's a movie that acknowledges the importance of eroticism and sexual attraction in a relationship and perhaps one of the few movies that portrays desire as something that is not connected to morally reprehensible or negative characters. Of course, the key for the success of the love story lies in the performances of Reggiani and Signoret, and they are magnificent, sharing an intense chemistry that burns the screen. But they also find the delicacy in the feelings of two lost, lovelorn souls who find unexpected solace and understanding in each other.

Signoret, in particular, is amazing in the role, and her work here stands as one of the best in an already brilliant career. As Marie, she's charmingly funny, fiercely independent and wonderfully witty: she is an absolute force of nature and you won't be able to take your eyes off her due to her mesmerizing presence and unique allure. But she also adds incredible depth to the character, bringing honesty and sincerity to Marie's feelings for Manda. One of the most beautiful moments of the film comes midway through, when the two lovers are walking next to a church and step in for a moment to see a wedding ceremony that is taking place there: as she watches the bride and groom and imagines a life she will never get to live, Marie's eyes tear up a little. Signoret is subtly devastating, conveying a history of broken dreams and crushed hopes with a single look. The cast as a whole is uniformly excellent, with special kudos to Raymond Brussières whose performance as Manda's best friend is heartfelt and affecting. But to be honest there isn't a single element in Casque d'Or that feels wrong or misplaced. It's one of those rare movies that achieves absolute perfection, one of those rare experiences that involve you to the point you almost forget you're watching a film. You live the character's sensations and you feel the atmosphere of 19th century Paris, from the very beginning until that shattering, haunting ending. It's, plain and simple, the stuff of a masterpiece.

100/100