THERESE RAQUIN

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 936, 19 July 1957, Page 20

THERESE RAQUIN

(Paris Film-Lux Film) A Cert. "HOUGH Zola might not have liked all the changes made in filming Thérése Raquin in a modern setting, Marcel Carné has at least maintained a detachment in telling his story that the old master could have approved; and he would have been interested in the background given to the important new character, a young sailor turned blackmailer to sét himself up in business. "War can be so educational," he says, explaining his lack of scruples. Introduced in a few economical shots which tellingly set the scene, Thérése Raquin is the story of a woman caught up in marriage with the weak, pamperc son of a possessive mother. adame Raquin still lives with the couple, still pampers. Yet, not blaming her husband (why should she?), Thérése is unwilling to leave him even when she has been unfaithful. She, too, no doubt, is a Zolaesque victim of her past, for in any other terms her scruples are not easy to understand. Anyway, it’s her lover,

-_ a a a ee 7 the handsome truck driver Laurent, whose passion leads them to a violent resolution, Those early shots not only set the scene-they establish with good writing, direction and playing the characters of Thérése (Simone Signoret), Camille (Jacques Duby) and the mother (Sylvie). Simone Signoret has to play Thérése mostly in a low key, but her response to Laurent in the more tender scenes of a love affair that at first seems to develop rather abruptly aré beautifully modulated. Laurent is played by Raf Vallone with a masculine vitality which contrasts with the weakling husband; and as the blackmailer Roland Lessafre is impressively cockstire. Mother and son are brilliantly acted-the mother’s paralysed, accusing stafe in the later part of the film is quite horrifying. (continued on text page)