Das Freudenmädchen von Tunis (1938)

Das Freudenmädchen von Tunis: Directed by Pierre Chenal. With Viviane Romance, Louis Jouvet, Pierre Renoir, Jany Holt. Town trollop Safia, much against her better judgment, falls in love with Matteo, a beggar and mystic in the native quarter of Sirocco. She flees to France, first as the mistress and then wife of a wealthy archaeologist, and bears him Matteo’s child, whom he believes to be his own. Complications arise years later when Matteo finds Safia, and a ring of blackmailers uncover her past and exposes her to her husband.

“I read dbdumonteil, my favourite reviewer —I usually agree with him and I love to disagree too— and well… I felt compelled to add something to pump-up his enthusiasm.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor if u0026quot;Le dernier tournantu0026quot; is good, if u0026quot;La foire aux chimèresu0026quot; is very good, twisty and enthralling, this u0026quot;Maison du Maltaisu0026quot; is one of the most flamboyant melodramas Iu0026#39;ve ever seen. And, to my eyes, the best thing Pierre Chenal ever made.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story is classic melodrama with enough turns to entertain and appeal you all 87 minutes long.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe characters are clichéd at first sight, but finding redeeming features in their parts to finally become original.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe good-hearted hard working whore becomes a lady then finds herself compelled to inhabit for some minutes, twice, her whoreu0026#39;s clothes and behaviour. The dreamer, Dalio, also knows transformations, three times in his case.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe two-fold story benefits of an excellent pace, great set-ups —the first reelu0026#39;s exotic ambiance is exceptionally well created— and great cinematography too, the best Iu0026#39;ve seen for any Chenalu0026#39;s works.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAbout the cast, the other reviewers said it already, but let me add this : Viviane Romance is here just as good as sheu0026#39;ll be in Duvivieru0026#39;s u0026quot;Paniqueu0026quot;, and maybe better. Isnu0026#39;t it enough?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf no, Iu0026#39;ll say more : itu0026#39;s Daliou0026#39;s part for his life-time. Jany Holt is cast in her category, and she does it just at her best.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMore? Jouvet, stellar in less than ten minutes screen-time, astonishing, amazing…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOK, enough, you see my point: try to watch this one, along with the two other Pierre Chenalu0026#39;s movies named earlier, and admit with me that he was one of the great u0026quot;petits maîtresu0026quot; of French cinema, when he had the chance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd for this peculiar movie, Stahl or Sirk didnu0026#39;t do better. Yes indeed!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e([email protected])”