Jean Grémillon was not a name familiar to me at the start of the year. The Metrograph had two of his (films on their streaming service. The first I watched was The Strange Mistor Victor (1938), and I was very impressed by it. It seemed well ahead of its time in terms of its taboo story, and its sharp dialogue. Today I watched The Lady Killer (1937), and was equally enamored with it as well. The film stars Jean Gabin, one of, if not, France’s greatest actors. While he is perhaps better known for playing tougher characters in his career, this film shows he had the capability of doing more sensitive melodramatic roles as well.

As you can glean from the film’s poster art, there are two sides to Gabin’s character, Lucien. At the start of the film he is a well-known soldier in France’s legion army. He also has a reputation for being a womanizer (hence the title). We get the impression in this opening act that he is very sure of himself, and has little regard for the hearts he inevitably breaks with his wanton behavior. This all changes when he has a chance encounter with Madeleine, while in Cannes. Lucien pours on the charm, and they spend the evening together. That is, until Lucien arrives at her home, and she closes the door behind him. From that point on, Lucien’ is changed man. He leaves the army, and the prestige that came along with it to go to Paris in search of Madeleine..

Lucien is a shadow of his former self in Paris. Living in a hotel, and working at a newspaper to make ends meet, he seems to only live for Madeleine now. He eventually reconnects with her, but it’s clear they are not on even terms. Madeleine is from high society, a life that Lucien thrusts himself into, but clearly does not belong. That’s made abundantly clear to him by Madeleine’s mother, and her arrogant butler.There are times when Madeleine seems to genuinely love Lucien, but when things come to a head later on, it’s clear where her loyalties truly lie.

The last act of the film is perhaps the film’s strongest, but also its darkest. The final minutes of the film takes a turn that I did not expect. Lady Killer has been called an early or proto-noir, and I can certainly see why. There is the downtrodden character, the femme fatale, . among other characteristics that would by synonymous with film noir in the following decade. Lady Killer is a great French film that’s ripe for rediscovery.