The movie is an old one and it was filmed in black & white. Despite that, the scenery is really good and you get to see some interesting parts of the city of Paris, including Bois de Boulogne, a nice large park with a lake located at the edge of the limits of the city. We also see the streets of Paris as they were many decades ago, which is a nice experience to have in these modern times.
The movie is completely spoken in French, which means you'll need subtitles. (Unless you know French, of course.)
It seems that this movie is considered a masterpiece nowadays... but at the time it was badly received by the critics and it was a failure. 🤔
Paul Bernard plays the role of Jean and he does a nice job... but the best performances are those from María Casares as Hélène and Elina Labourdette in the role of Agnès. They are both perfect and their performances are very believable.
Personally, I think the movie is good, with an interesting story... but also a bit too predictable.
Stop reading here - if you hate spoilers! I mean it.
A thing I didn't like is that, in a single line, IMBD reveals the whole plot... They shouldn't really do that. It kind of ruins the experience for the viewer... 😒
Again, I urge you to stop reading here - if you want to see the movie and have the best possible experience!
Don't even read the IMDB plot, which spoils the entire ending.
IMDB describes (and ruins) the movie by summing it up with this sentence...
"A society lady engineers a marriage between her lover and a cabaret dancer who is essentially a prostitute."
... and that's why I'll let you know the story of the film in this post. I couldn't spoil it anymore, even if I tried. So, here it goes...
This movie begins with a couple who doesn't appear to love each other anymore... but in fact, it was the man - Jean - who stopped loving his girlfriend Hélène and she is suspicious of it. To confirm her doubts she comes up with a story telling him she isn't infatuated by him anymore, saying the spark of the relationship is missing... in order to see his reaction. Instead of being sad and trying to convince her otherwise, he shows himself to be relieved and tells her he was feeling the same.
This is everything Hélène needs to become furious... but she doesn't allow Jean to see through her emotions. In fact, Hélène gets him to agree to remain as friends after the breakup, to which he agrees. Little does Jean know that this is only the first step in a strange story of revenge plotted by Hélène.
The next step Hélène takes is going to a night club where she knows one of the dancers, a young and beautiful girl named Agnès. She knows that Agnès is very poor and she's degrading herself for money. Agnès hates that kind of life and all the men that surround her all the time.
Hélène promises Agnès and her mother that she can help them get out of this life, if they only trust Hélène and follow her plan. They quickly agree... They don't even suspect that Hélène might have ulterior motives and isn't being as altruistic as they believe her to be.
A few time later Hélène finds a way for her ex-boyfriend to meet Agnès, making it appear like a mere coincidence. She knows that Jean will fall in love with her dancer friend... and will become obsessed if his advances are refused. Hélène is now playing both Agnès and Jean as if they were little marionettes... telling Jean she can't have that girl, at the same time saying Agnès that she must keep refusing Jean's advances and proposals.
Hélène's idea is to make Jean marry Agnès and to tell him - just after they get married - that he has married a whore. How will her ex-fiancé Jean react to that...? 😲
I rate it with an 8 out of 10. It's a nice movie which will keep you interested... but it's a pity that IMDB ruined the whole story for me. I hope you've taken my advice and stopped reading before the spoilers. 😁