La poison (1951)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Sacha Guitry

Writer:

Sacha Guitry (writer)

Release Date:

30 November 1951 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Cynicism | Uxoricide | Attempted Murder Of Husband | Folks | Black Humor

Cast

Michel Simon	...	Paul Louis Victor Braconnier
Jean Debucourt	...	Maître Aubanel
Jacques Varennes	...	Le procureur
Jeanne Fusier-Gir	...	La fleuriste
Germaine Reuver	...	Blandine Braconnier (as Madame Reuver)
Pauline Carton	...	La mercière
Albert Duvaleix	...	L'abbé Méthivier (as Duvaleix)
Henry Laverne	...	Le président
Jacques de Féraudy	...	M. Brun
Jacques Derives	...	Jules
Louis de Funès	...	André
Luce Fabiole	...	La servante du curé
Yvonne Hébert	...	Julie
Roger Poirier	...	Un geôlier (as Poirier)
André Dalibert	...	Le gendarme (as Dalibert)
Max Dejean	...	L'épicier (as Dejean)
Michel Nastorg	...	Le brigadier (as Nastorg)
Nicolas Amato	...	Victor (as Amato)
Louis Eymond	...	Le secrétaire (as Eymond)
Marianne Romain
Suzanne Dantès	...	(voice)
Jacques Morel	...	(voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marcelle Arnold	...	Germaine (uncredited)
Jean Bachelet	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Henri Belly	...	Un voisin (uncredited)
Georges Bever	...	Le pharmacien (uncredited)
Robert Dumesnil	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Maria Fromet	...	Mlle. Aubanel (uncredited)
François Gir	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Sacha Guitry	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Harry-Max	...	Henri (uncredited)
Fernand Janisse	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Raymond Lamy	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Odette Lemarchand	...	Elle-même / Herself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Louiguy	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
René Ribaud	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Marthe Sarbel	...	Ernestine (uncredited)
Robert Sussfeld	...	Lui-même / Himself - in opening credits (uncredited)
Maurice Teynac	...	Un avocat (uncredited)
Jimmy Urbain	...	(uncredited)
Léon Walther	...	L'avocat général (uncredited)

Directed by
Sacha Guitry

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sacha Guitry		writer

Produced by
Paul Wagner	....	producer

Original Music by
Louiguy

Cinematography by
Jean Bachelet

Film Editing by
Raymond Lamy

Production Design by
Robert Dumesnil

Production Management
Robert Sussfeld	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
François Gir	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Fernand Janisse	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
René Ribaud	....	camera operator

Other crew
Odette Lemarchand	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Gaumont

Distributors

• Gaumont (1951) (France) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Poison (USA)
Giftet (Sweden) [sv]
Ho ucciso mia moglie (Italy) [it]
Myrkky (Finland) [fi]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15

Company:

Gaumont

Movie Connections:

Remade as Un crime au paradis (2001)

Delightful black comedy

The everyday life of Paul Braconnier (played by the famous Michel Simon) and his wife Blandine (Germaine Reuver) is far from what one would describe as a marital bliss. Paul Braconnier reproaches her that she's old and ugly and that she drinks too much. They hate each other as much as they possibly can - to the point that they want to murder each other. One day, Paul Braconnier hears about the champion lawyer Maitre Aubanel (played by Jean Debucourt) who just won his 100th case. Paul decided to promptly visit him to know how he can kill his wife without going to jail. Delighted to hear that murder without consequences is possible, he decides to stab his wife when she is about to poison him. With a lawyer like Aubanel, he is certain to get away with his crime. What follows is probably the funniest trial sequence in film history.

'La poison' is the funniest movie that Sacha Guitry made after WWII. As always in the work of Sacha Guitry, this story is a satire of marriage. This black comedy is delightful due to the performance of Michel Simon (once more!) in this role of a colorful rogue and to the high standard comical writing of Sacha Guitry. The name of the main character (Braconnier, which is the French word for poacher) was not chosen randomly: it is a description of the attitude that the main character has throughout the movie, i.e. that of a character behaving against the law. The tone of the movie is definitively anarchist and the character played by Michel Simon is not far from that of Boudu (another great performance by Michel Simon in 'Boudu sauve des eaux by Jean Renoir, 1932).

Guitry adds to our pleasure by introducing the complete credited cast during the opening sequence (much alike Orson Welles introducing his actors in the movie Othello and in the trailer of Citizen Kane) congratulating Michel Simon for his acting. Louis de Funes (at this time not as popular as he would be more than a decade later) can be seen in a small role. Pauline Carton (who played in most of Sacha Guitry movies) is present as well.

This movie is a gem. Highly recommended. 10/10.