It turns out I had seen
Maman Colibri before. I had watched it first thing when Moira posted the European Treasures website some time ago, but 2/3rds of the way through it, the website froze up and stopped working.
So I took this opportunity to watch the whole thing through. It's a little jarring to watch this one after
The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrowna, Julien Duvivier's style is rather jarring in comparison to the graceful Hanns Schwarz'.
That isn't to say that there aren't exceptional, shocking moments in this modern re-telling of Anna Karenina.
Julien Duvivier's focus is completely on
Maria Jocobini, as it should be, she is very expressive. Though it takes a little time to accept her coyness at the start, by the end I thought she was very good, portraying the sexuality, the anger, and the resignation of a woman often ignored or put into the background once she has children. The story is predicated on the troubled emotions of Baroness de Rysebergue, whose husband is somewhat of an intruder in her life. All this is illustrated early on, as she is dressing for a party, in a splendid ensemble designed to make her look like a hummingbird, a flouncy feathery confection designed to show her at her best. She is dancing with her 10 0r 12 year old son, who remarks that she will be the most beautiful woman at the ball. The Baron arrives, and tactlessly tells her that she looks foolish, to remember her age as a mother of two teenagers. Her crestfallen look forces him to leave the room, and she tears off the outfit for a more suitable one.
At the masked ball she meets our
Francis Lederer, a young recruit to the foreign legion, who finds her mystery attractive. They kiss at midnight, and she, mortified by her actions runs away. Francis confides to his friend that he has fallen madly in love but has no idea who the woman is. The friend invites him over the next day to help him out of his doldrums, but turns out to be the Baroness' other son! The two guilty parties meet, and he impetuously asks her to run away with him.
The two are discovered, after having barely exchanged kisses, and the Baroness has a wonderful scene in which she lets everything out, furiously telling her husband that the intruder in their house is really him, that he has never understood her or even tried. He tells her to make her choice, but that she won't be allowed to come crawling home.
She leaves, finds her young lover packing for his trip, and overjoyed to find that she is coming with him. They travel to
Algeria, and there are some stunning location shots of actual street natives, a battle and the beauty of the desert. It's gorgeous and evocative.
They set up housekeeping in the most romantic place ever, but as time goes on, the Baroness finds it's not enough, and Lederer's young soldier is told by superiors that a mistress is not everything, not to make too much of a spectacle of himself with her. He tells her he must go to the next gathering of the European community alone, and she is palpably heartbroken, but says nothing.
Meanwhile a new arrival, the striking and vibrant
Helene Hallier, a young single woman shows up, and assumes that the two lovers are mother and son. The Baroness is struck with melancholy, and goes to have her fortune read - it is simple "You have entered your winter time." The young girl is quite the little coquette and steals young Lederer's callow affections away, which almost seems natural.
The Baroness leaves, and we see her some time later, standing outside her old home where her young son discovers her, and makes her come into the house with him. He shows her her grandson, begs her to stay, at which point the Baron shows up - he is a changed man - loving with his children, and forgiving as well. The final shot is one of new hope for the Baroness as she starts to smile over the wonder of new life.