#172: DUVIVIER, Julien: Pépé Le Moko (1937)

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DUVIVIER, Julien (France)
Pépé Le Moko [1937]
Spine #172
DVD


Jean Gabin, in a truly iconic performance, is the notorious Pépé le Moko; women long for him, rivals hope to destroy him, and the law is breathing down his neck at every turn. On the lam in the labyrinthine Casbah of Algiers, Pépé is safe from the clutches of the police — until a Parisian playgirl compels him to risk his life and leave its confines once and for all. One of the most influential films of the 20th century and a landmark of French poetic realism, Julien Duvivier's Pépé le Moko is presented here, restored and in its full-length version.

94 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in French
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2003
Director/Writers


Based on the novel by Ashelbé.
Cinema adaptation by Jacques Constant.
Dialogue by Henri Jeanson.
Duvivier was 41 when he directed Pépé le Moko.
The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Eight-page wraparound featuring an essay by Michael Atkinson.

Commentary

None.

French television interview

From 1962 with director Duvivier.
Excerpts

From Ginette Vincendeau’s BFI Classics study of Pépé le Moko, addressing the historical background of the film’s setting and the French crime novel genre.
Study

Of the lasting influence of Pépé on popular culture, including a special video comparison between Pépé and the 1938 U.S. remake Algiers.
Original theatrical trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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