Une si jolie petite plage
Encyclopedia
Une si jolie petite plage (English titles: Such a Pretty Little Beach and Riptide) is a French film shot in black-and-white
, directed by Yves Allégret
and released in 1949
. The film stars Gérard Philipe
, Madeleine Robinson and Jane Marken
.
The film is set on the Channel coast of northern France, in a drab and depressing small seaside town being deluged by incessant rain. The film noir
-influenced style emphasises the relentlessly downbeat, oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere of the milieu. Location filming for Une si jolie petite plage took place in Barneville-Carteret
in Lower Normandy.
) arrives in a seaside town and, giving his name only as Pierre, checks into the only hotel which remains open. His arrival arouses curiosity and a degree of suspicion, as people note that he appears to know the area, yet gives no explanation for his presence at that bleak time of year in the dead-end town. The elderly mother of the hotel owner, now a mute invalid, shows signs of recognition but her condition prevents her from voicing what she observes. Pierre is treated with barely disguised petty-minded intolerance and hostility by the hotel owner, guests and habitués, but develops a friendship with Marthe (Madeleine Robinson), an all-purpose employee at the hotel. Pierre also notices a 15 year-old boy – employed as a dogsbody at the hotel, where he has been placed by the local state-run orphanage – who he has spotted engaging in rendezvous with Mme Curlier, a middle-aged female guest. His attempts to engage the somewhat surly and reticent youth however meet with rebuff.
The arrival in the town of Fred (Jean Servais
), an oily and seedy character on Pierre's trail, precipitates his fate. It transpires that Pierre's interest in the orphan boy arises from the fact that he sees in him an exact reflection of himself at the same age; Pierre too was raised in the same orphanage and was sent as a teenage boy to work in this hotel, where he was picked up by a predatory older woman, a well-known chanteuse who offered him escape to the bright lights of Paris. Over time however, his gigolo-type lifestyle with the woman became increasingly sordid and degrading. It is revealed that Pierre is now on the run, having just killed the singer, and has returned to the town of his childhood and adolescence in a vain attempt to try to find some inner peace. Instead his return has ended in complete desperation. Marthe, who by now has fallen in love with Pierre, does her best to help him through his despair, but it is not to be.
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, directed by Yves Allégret
Yves Allégret
Yves Allégret was a French film director in the film noir genre.He is noted as having been the husband of actress Simone Signoret between the years 1944–1949.-Selected filmography:...
and released in 1949
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
. The film stars Gérard Philipe
Gérard Philipe
Gérard Philipe was a prominent French actor, who had appeared in 34 films between 1944 and 1959.-Career:...
, Madeleine Robinson and Jane Marken
Jane Marken
Jane Marken was a French actress. She was the first wife of the actor Jules Berry....
.
The film is set on the Channel coast of northern France, in a drab and depressing small seaside town being deluged by incessant rain. The film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
-influenced style emphasises the relentlessly downbeat, oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere of the milieu. Location filming for Une si jolie petite plage took place in Barneville-Carteret
Barneville-Carteret
Barneville-Carteret is a commune in the Manche department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France. It is situated on the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula some 30 km south of Cherbourg. It consists of three small urban areas, Barneville Bourg, Barneville Plage and Carteret...
in Lower Normandy.
Synopsis
During the cold and rainy off-season a man (Gérard PhilipeGérard Philipe
Gérard Philipe was a prominent French actor, who had appeared in 34 films between 1944 and 1959.-Career:...
) arrives in a seaside town and, giving his name only as Pierre, checks into the only hotel which remains open. His arrival arouses curiosity and a degree of suspicion, as people note that he appears to know the area, yet gives no explanation for his presence at that bleak time of year in the dead-end town. The elderly mother of the hotel owner, now a mute invalid, shows signs of recognition but her condition prevents her from voicing what she observes. Pierre is treated with barely disguised petty-minded intolerance and hostility by the hotel owner, guests and habitués, but develops a friendship with Marthe (Madeleine Robinson), an all-purpose employee at the hotel. Pierre also notices a 15 year-old boy – employed as a dogsbody at the hotel, where he has been placed by the local state-run orphanage – who he has spotted engaging in rendezvous with Mme Curlier, a middle-aged female guest. His attempts to engage the somewhat surly and reticent youth however meet with rebuff.
The arrival in the town of Fred (Jean Servais
Jean Servais
Jean Servais was a Belgian actor trained at the Brussels Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, where he won the Second Prize....
), an oily and seedy character on Pierre's trail, precipitates his fate. It transpires that Pierre's interest in the orphan boy arises from the fact that he sees in him an exact reflection of himself at the same age; Pierre too was raised in the same orphanage and was sent as a teenage boy to work in this hotel, where he was picked up by a predatory older woman, a well-known chanteuse who offered him escape to the bright lights of Paris. Over time however, his gigolo-type lifestyle with the woman became increasingly sordid and degrading. It is revealed that Pierre is now on the run, having just killed the singer, and has returned to the town of his childhood and adolescence in a vain attempt to try to find some inner peace. Instead his return has ended in complete desperation. Marthe, who by now has fallen in love with Pierre, does her best to help him through his despair, but it is not to be.
Cast
- Gérard PhilipeGérard PhilipeGérard Philipe was a prominent French actor, who had appeared in 34 films between 1944 and 1959.-Career:...
as Pierre Monet - Madeleine Robinson as Marthe
- Jane MarkenJane MarkenJane Marken was a French actress. She was the first wife of the actor Jules Berry....
as Mme. Mathieu - Jean ServaisJean ServaisJean Servais was a Belgian actor trained at the Brussels Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, where he won the Second Prize....
as Fred - Julien CaretteJulien CaretteJulien Carette was a French film actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1931 and 1964. He suffered fatal burns when his nylon shirt caught fire from his cigarette; apparently he had fallen asleep while smoking....
as The Commercial Traveller - André ValmyAndré ValmyAndré Valmy is a French film actor. Hew was born André Antoine Marius Dugenet in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. He appeared in 66 films between 1940 and 2001.-Selected filmography:* Une si jolie petite plage...
as Georges - Gabriel Gobin as Arthur
- Christian Ferry as The Orphan
- Paul Ville as M. Curlier
- Mona Dol as Mme. Curlier
- Gabrielle FontanGabrielle FontanGabrielle Fontan was a French film actress. She appeared in 125 films between 1927 and 1959.-Selected filmography:* Partie de campagne * Sylvie et le fantôme * Une si jolie petite plage...
as The Old Woman
External links
- Une si jolie petite plage at Cinéma Français (French)