Rent Panique (1946)
4.0 of 5 from 72 ratings
1h 31min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Proud, eccentric, and antisocial, Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon) has always kept to himself. But after a woman turns up dead in the Paris suburb where he lives, he feels drawn to a pretty young newcomer to town (Viviane Romance), discovers that his neighbors are only too ready to suspect the worst of him, and is framed for the murder. Based on a novel by Georges Simenon, Julien Duvivier's first film after his return to France from Hollywood finds the acclaimed poetic realist applying his consummate craft to darker, moodier ends. Propelled by its two deeply nuanced lead performances, the tensely noirish 'Panique' exposes the dangers of the knives-out mob mentality, delivering as well a pointed allegory for the behavior of Duvivier's countrymen during the war. - Actors:
- Viviane Romance, Michel Simon, Max Dalban, Émile Drain, Guy Favières, Louis Florencie, Charles Dorat, Lucas Gridoux, Marcel Pérès, Lita Recio, Michel Ardan, Michèle Auvray, Lucien Carol, Olivier Darrieux, Paulette Laurent, Paul Franck, Magdeleine Gidon, Jenny Leduc, Louis Lions, Emma Lyonel
- Directors:
- Julien Duvivier
- Producers:
- Pierre O'Connell, José Bosch
- Writers:
- Charles Spaak, Julien Duvivier, Georges Simenon
- Aka:
- Panic
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- A Brief History of French Poetic Realism, A Brief History of the Tradition of Quality, A Brief History of Film...
- Countries:
- France
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/01/2019
- Run Time:
- 98 minutes
- Languages:
- French LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- The Art of Subtitling, a new short documentary by Bruce Goldstein, founder and copresident of Rialto Pictures, about the history of subtitles
- New interview with author Pierre Simenon, the son of novelist Georges Simenon
- Conversation from 2015 between critics Guillemette Odicino and Eric Libiot about director Julien Duvivier and the film's production history
- Rialto Pictures rerelease trailer
- New English subtitle translation by Duvivier expert Lenny Borger
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Reviews (1) of Panique
French Noir. - Panique review by Steve
Loose adaptation of an early novel by Georges Simenon, which would be remade with some success as Monsieur Hire in 1989. The attraction for Julien Duvivier in 1946 was the portrayal of mob mentality which reflects the improvised law of France in the months after WWII.
So Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon) is fitted up by his neighbours as the killer of a lonely spinster, purely because he is unpopular and different. This subplot unfortunately squeezes out the stronger theme of his voyeuristic obsession with a woman just released from prison (Viviane Romance).
And she unconditionally loves the real murderer (Paul Bernard). Anyone used to Hollywood crime films will be struck by how sleazy this is. The Production Code wouldn’t permit the assassin’s impassive revelation of utterly sordid sociopathy. Or the futility of the law… Or the post coital intimacy of the degenerate lovers.
Michel Simon is ideal casting as the resolute, deviant misfit. And there’s the eccentric community of sex workers, bumptious minor officials and ineffectual petit bourgeoisie standard in French crime pictures. This feels like the poetic realism of the ’30s. War is over but an ambient pessimism still hangs over the city, like fog.
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