Angels of the Streets
Encyclopedia
Angels of the Streets was the first feature film
directed by Robert Bresson
. Made in 1943, nine years after his comedy short Les affaires publiques, it was Bresson's only film released during the German occupation of France.
Unlike the films Bresson is most famous for, Angels of the Streets was made with a cast of professional actors, an aspect it shares with Bresson's next film, Les dames du Bois de Boulogne
, which would be his last film with a cast composed entirely of professional actors. Though usually seen as being the most "conventional" of Bresson's features, the religious subject matter and the directness of the film's style is seen as seen by many as auspicious of the director's later work.
Bresson collaborated on the film's screenplay with Raymond Leopold Bruckberger
, a Dominican
priest, and the noted dramatist Jean Giraudoux
, who received top billing on the film's posters above the then-unknown Bresson.
) decides to become a nun, joining a convent
that rehabilitates female prisoners. Through their program, she meets a woman named Thérèse (Jany Holt
) who refuses any help because she says she was innocent of the crime she was convicted for. After being released from prison, Thérèse murders the actual perpetrator of the crime and comes to seek sanctuary in the convent.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed by Robert Bresson
Robert Bresson
-Life and career:Bresson was born at Bromont-Lamothe, Puy-de-Dôme, the son of Marie-Élisabeth and Léon Bresson. Little is known of his early life and the year of his birth, 1901 or 1907, varies depending on the source. He was educated at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, close to Paris, and...
. Made in 1943, nine years after his comedy short Les affaires publiques, it was Bresson's only film released during the German occupation of France.
Unlike the films Bresson is most famous for, Angels of the Streets was made with a cast of professional actors, an aspect it shares with Bresson's next film, Les dames du Bois de Boulogne
Les dames du Bois de Boulogne
Les dames du Bois de Boulogne is a 1945 French film directed by Robert Bresson. It is a modern adaptation of a section of Denis Diderot's Jacques le fataliste , telling the story of a man who is tricked into marrying a former prostitute.Les Dames was Bresson's second feature...
, which would be his last film with a cast composed entirely of professional actors. Though usually seen as being the most "conventional" of Bresson's features, the religious subject matter and the directness of the film's style is seen as seen by many as auspicious of the director's later work.
Bresson collaborated on the film's screenplay with Raymond Leopold Bruckberger
Raymond Leopold Bruckberger
Raymond Léopold Bruckberger , was a French Dominican priest, Résistance member, writer, translator, screenwriter and director of Austrian heritage....
, a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priest, and the noted dramatist Jean Giraudoux
Jean Giraudoux
Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His work is noted for its stylistic elegance and poetic fantasy...
, who received top billing on the film's posters above the then-unknown Bresson.
Plot synopsis
A well-off young woman (Renée FaureRenée Faure
Renée Faure was a French actress.She was a jury member during the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:...
) decides to become a nun, joining a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
that rehabilitates female prisoners. Through their program, she meets a woman named Thérèse (Jany Holt
Jany Holt
Jany Holt was a Romanian-born actress, who worked principally in the French cinema. She was born Ruxandra Ecaterina Vladescu Olt in Bucharest, and died of natural causes in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
) who refuses any help because she says she was innocent of the crime she was convicted for. After being released from prison, Thérèse murders the actual perpetrator of the crime and comes to seek sanctuary in the convent.
External links
- Les anges du péché at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...