Paris By Night

From Duvivier’s ALLO BERLIN? ICI PARIS!

Two couples on a night out — according to the plot contrivance, all work in the telephone exchange, two in Berlin and two in Paris. When the Germans visit, there’s a deliberate mix-up and a scheming German boy and French girl go out with the French boy and German girl who were supposed to go out with each other. Hard to explain.

Anyhow, the naughty French girl’s idea of a night out — Club Negro — looks more fun that the boy’s, although he does get a song co-written by the film’s director.

The gimmick of the film is that every line of dialogue is translated from French to German or vice-versa, so audience’s of both nations can enjoy.It’s an early experiment in making a talkie which could transcend the language barrier — while Pathe-Natan and others were making co-productions in multiple versions — French, German and English, Duvivier makes a truly bilingual film. Oddly, this has the effect of de-emphasising language, so that the film can be enjoyed even if you speak neither tongue.

Thirty-some years later, Godard tried something similar by including a translator character in LE MEPRIS, in the hopes that the Americans wouldn’t dub it. They dubbed it anyway, so that the translator is just kind of re-phrasing things that Palance says to Piccoli and Piccoli to Palance. For no reason.

Kind of like this ~

Thanks to La Faustin.

Cinema City

Greetings, from the city that doesn’t sleep, and sometimes forgets to wash.

So far seen two Duviviers, of which the most amazing was ALLO BERLIN, ICI PARIS which I’ll write about once I’ve secured a DVD and some frame-grabs. More Duviviers soon, as well as hopefully a meeting with regular Shadowplayer Guy Budziak, master of the film noir woodcut. This a.m., a meeting was transacted with Cordelia Stephens of Belladonna Productions, a former Edinburgher, and yesterday I hung out with comic book artist and art school buddy Simon Fraser, who has kindly invited me to see STAR TREK, which may upset Fiona who wants to see it back in Scotland. I’ll still go see it with you if you like!

Thanks to Christoph Michel for the image.

The latest edition of my column, The Forgotten, based around the other Duvivier I saw, is now online at the Auteur’s Notebook. Check it out and leave comments there!