Customer Reviews

Raven [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some called the director Henri Georges Clouzot "the French Hitchcock." But in many ways Hitchcock was Santa Claus next to the cynical Clouzot. The Frenchman was a master of film noir, that bleakest and blackest of film genres. He made three undeniably great films: "Diabolique", "The Wages of Fear", and this one. For some reason it's been packaged here as "The Raven", but its better known title is "Le Corbeau", or "The Crow." Like Clouzot's other great movies, it's a suspenseful, terrifying journey into the heart of darkness that can exist in the human soul. In a small French village, someone is sending anonymous, hate-filled letters full of lies and half-truths about the villagers: she is a thief, he is an adulterer, that doctor performs secret abortions. The letters are signed "the Crow." The level of hate and paranoia in the small village rises to fever pitch as a witch-hunt develops to find The Crow. The final identity of the letter-writer is shocking, but logical and inevitable. You have to watch the film twice in order to pick up all the diabolical little clues Clouzot lets drop. The protagonist, Dr. Germain (the main target of the Crow's letter-writing campaign) loses his rigidity about human nature and begins to see that people are a mixture of good and evil and that "evil is necessary. It's like a disease from which you emerge stronger." The film is cleverly written and beautifully and ominously photographed in the best noir style. The film was made in German-occupied France in 1943 and was a harsh portrait of a small French town, so after the war it was misconstrued by many as anti-French propaganda, and Clouzot had trouble finding work for a few years. That could be the reason why this movie is not as widely appreciated as his others. But it's not a political film that deals with passing issues. It's a film-noir gem.

A reticent physician with a mysterious past, practicing in the small French town of St. Robin, is targeted by poison-pen letters signed "Le Corbeau" (The Raven). The letters increase from a trickle to a deluge as virtually everyone in town is targeted; confidences are violated and neighbor suspects neighbor in an infectious atmosphere of growing paranoia and mistrust. Henri-Georges Clouzot (Diabolique, Wages of Fear) keeps the viewer on his toes throughout the entire 91 minutes; there isn't a weak spot in this entire film which, amazingly, managed to get itself made during the Nazi occupation of France (and which was condemned by both the Right and Left Wings, with the Church thrown in for good measure).I caught the beginning of this film some months back on Turner and was too tired to watch it in its entirety. I was very happy to learn that Criterion (yay!) was scheduled to release it and I wasn't disappointed; this film belongs in the library of every serious collector. In fact, I can't imagine anyone's not enjoying it. Since other reviewers have summarized the plot, I'll confine the rest of my review to the disk and its extras. The print--predictably--is gorgeous, presented in its original, full-screen aspect ratio. Contrary to another reviewer, I found the sound clear as a bell and not in the least bit harsh or tinny. I haven't, with the exception of the trailer, availed myself of the extras yet but this is a Criterion release--I'd be surprised if they were anything less than first-rate. A very informative booklet is included and makes for interesting reading. My quibbles are minor and few: I found the subtitles difficult to see from a rather short distance, and I wish they were offered in other languages (I have a number of friends who are recent emigrés from Russia and other countries who are eager to avail themselves of quality cinema). There was also a scene where the action paused for a fraction of a second--I'm not sure if this was the director's intention or the result of this being a dual-layer release. This is a fascinating film that can be enjoyed on a number of levels, i.e., one need not be aware of conditions in France at the time it was shot to be captivated by it. An excellent introduction to the work of Clouzot for the initiate and a welcome event for seasoned fans.

Le Corbeau aka The Raven is a surprisingly vivid piece of film-making, a wonderfully cinematic dissection of a town torn apart by the poison-pen letters of 'The Raven.' The initial balance of power that maintains the status quo (A knows B's indiscretion, B knows A's, so neither can destroy the other without disgracing himself) is soon destroyed as the whole town learns each other's dirty linen, with suspicions, half-truths and outright lies soon lead to the town turning on each other in the search for a scapegoat. Tragedy, suicide and murder inevitably follow...

This, of course, was the film that earned Clouzot a lasting reputation as a collaborator - made for the infamous German Continental films, it was attacked by both the Nazis for discouraging the French from informing (their main source of information during the occupation) and the resistance for attacking the French moral character. Of the two, it's pretty obvious the Nazis were on the right track. Even though the Germans are conspicuous by their absence, it makes clear that the anonymous informer/s are undermining solidarity and making the town easy prey for predators (it is implicit in the film that the Raven is not the only poison-pen writer in the town as a veritable flock of Ravens emerge).

The suspense comes not from the Raven's identity, which is blindingly obvious in this era of double-endings but must have seemed groundbreaking at the time, but from what damage the Raven will do next. Blessed with a surprisingly unlikable hero and a frankness lacking in US and British films of the period - abortion and drug-addiction are discussed as readily as adultery and embezzlement - there is a somewhat awkward Catholic moral imposed at the end (the good doctor learns it is better to let a mother die in childbirth to save the child than vice versa because the future is more important than the past) but it's still refreshingly dark. The script establishes character, setting and guilty secrets with remarkable economy and the film is blessed with a great use of location and some visually impressive set pieces: the funeral where people step around a letter left by the Raven before a child picks it up or the huge church silenced by a single letter fluttering down from the gallery are particularly striking. It also has a biting black wit and an interesting discussion about the interdependent nature of good and evil.

A genuine masterpiece, and entertaining with it, the Criterion DVD boasts exceptionally good print quality - sharp and clear - with an interesting 18-minute interview with Bertrand Tavernier on Continental and Clouzot and an interesting extract from a French documentary with Clouzot and others talking about the film and French cinema during the Nazi occupation.

Nothing to add about the picture - splendid acting, menacing, claustrophobic atmosphere. Just a word about the disc - visually,
about one of the cleanest transfers of a film this old that I've yet seen. Looks like they had a good print to begin with, and did
what they usually do digitally - the result is pristine. Blacks very black, good contrast. However, they were a little overzealous with the sound, which in its filtered state is unusually tinny and whistly. This detracts somewhat from the overall quality of the presentation, but not too much. The extras are very good and most apropos, as one would expect of Criterion.

In the small town of St. Robin multiple rumors have begun to spread through malicious letters sent by someone who calls him or herself, Raven. These rumors do not affect the towns people in the beginning, however, Raven's diligence to persist sending letters sets root in the small town and spiteful rumors begin to affect the people mentioned in the letter. The central figures in St. Robin start an investigation, but can their attempts succeed in uncovering the identity of Raven? Le Corbeau is a brilliant thriller directed by Clouzot who displays his understanding of social interaction and the human psyche as people are confronted with lies and truths. In the end the audience is offered a memorable cinematic experience that keeps the audience guessing until the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, even though it is rather pessimistic in tone. The enjoyment stemmed from experiencing what, to me, seemed to be flawlessly executed performances by all parties-cast, camera crew, and actors. Much has been made of the symbolic significance of this story as it relates to the German occupation of France during World War II, but, for my part, I see it as being valid for all time periods.

The despicable practice of anonymously trying to destroy someone's reputation might well flourish in an occupied country, especially when the occupying authorities encourage informers. But, unfortunately, there are always those who derive a sadistic thrill from causing trouble for others, especially from a position of concealment. In 'Le Courbeau', we see how an entire town can be thrown into a feverish turmoil of suspicion and fear by a skillful poison-pen operator.

The story told by this film is quite plausible and does not depend for it's success on genre gimmickry, although it could be said to have a very noir flavor. There is a psychological depth to the characters that you won't find in most film-noir movies, even good ones. This has to be due to great directing and a fine script.

The aspect of this film which really elevates it to a work of art for me is the cinematography, which is always perfectly in tune with the mood of the drama. The remarkable opening scenes overlooking the medieval-appearing town, the transition to a sunlit churchyard, then views of church spires, and finally a huge barred gate, seems to introduce from the very beginning contrasting forces of light and darkness which will soon be manifested in the behavior of the citizens. There are many scenes where shadows and alternating light and dark reflect the conflicting elements between characters or within the same person. In an amazingly expressive scene where a woman in a robe-like garment was being pursued by a mob, the very motion and shading of her garb seemed to capture and heighten the frenzy and terror of her situation.

There are no paragons in this movie. The average people of the town become members of a ravening pack out for blood. Then there are those who are able to resist the madness to large degree, but who still are at odds with the dark forces both within and outside themselves. It is this treatment of the story that gives the film it's universality. The idea that evil is not neatly contained in a scapegoat somewhere outside ourselves, but is something we all must master through objectivity, self-examination, and the lessons of experience, give the film a relevance for all eras. This lesson, at least to me, was implicit, but was not conveyed by moral preachments. Rather, in accord with the film's high artistic level, it came through as a truth about life and human nature, revealed through the imagery and dialogue.

with apology to the late Peter S.

The unusual suspects? Sure, this one has them all - the New Doctor [who has an rather unusual bedside manner with the ladies, and performs ... shall we say ... perhaps those unspoken surgeries?], the two sisters - one the Nurse, always cloaked and hooded, falconesque perhaps? The other one - petite, sweet, blonde and braided and married to an 'elder gentleman' - somewhat a May/December fling, then there's the 'Bird in the Gilded Cage', wing slightly clipped, but also enamoured by the Doctor ..... and the little bespectacled teen ......

Clouzot paints a drab, fascinating, character study of total paranoia during our stay in this little hamlet ... and the letters? They keep on coming - until everyone becomes a suspect.

Brilliantly photographed and lensed this is a must-see experience, but not just once, Oh, our director flings the truth right out there - so obvious from the very beginning, but it's up to the viewer.....

As for the Patient in bed #13 and the doting, veiled mama? Another sinister moment!

Buy, yes, buy this Birdie!

one of his best next to diabolique, must pick up fast it just went out-of-print on the criterion website.

"Beware! I see all and tell all." So quoth the Raven, the pen name of the mysterious writer of poison pen letters that has plagued a small town in France with suspicion, fear and anxiety. Since this film was made by a Frenchman under a German controlled studio during Nazi occupied France in 1943, there is a subtext not necessarily explicit in the film itself, but nonetheless pervades its very essence. In Le Corbeau, Dr. Remy Germain becomes a victim when letters start circulating that accuse him of having an affair with a married woman and of being an abortionist. Both of these accusations are false but do contain half-truths, and it is the unfortunate tendency for groups of people, usually motivated by fear, to assume the worst. Furthermore, Germain is an outsider, in that he refuses to participate in gossip and avoids social clicks, which ironically makes him a target. Soon he will find himself under suspicion and alienated. Since virtually every member of the community has some skeleton in their closet, they would much rather turn their ire on the accused than risk having their own affairs aired by The Raven. And so the drama escalates to a crisis where Clouzot does not even spare the victim of blame. By assuming a position of detachment, Germain has turned a blind eye and thereby contributing to ignorance which only provides fuel for the Raven and the lies and deceit spread like a plague.

Le Corbeau (The Raven) is an excellent French film released during World War II in 1943. In this movie, a mysterious character who is secretly sending out poison-pen letters under the title of The Raven, is, by this series of actions, creating unrest in what was once a peaceful French dwelling and, simultaneously, leading the viewer into yet another interesting exploration into the dark side of humanity. Just as the clash of egos in Lord of the Flies would spawn trouble among docile youngsters who would gradually turn from friend to foe amongst themselves, the emotion of fear, in conjunction with the circulating rumors regarding the letters of The Raven, would prevail throughout this movie and create within a serene environment a highly troubled and paranoid mindset that would, in one scene, cause an organized investigation to devolve into a witch hunt. By letting fear overrule their logic and, in consequence, frantically find scapegoats who were innocent, many an investigator were no closer to finding just who The Raven was.

Though this movie is over sixty years old, I think that within it is a creative exposition to the adage that an evil genius will control the minds of the people by finding ways to essentially keep them poor, blind, scared and stupid. Le Corbeau is based on a true account of a poison-pen incident in 1920's France; so it cannot truly be regarded as a work of fiction. It is convincing that a collective mind that is built upon rumor, superstition and hate is highly dangerous. And that is what many of the citizens in this movie so became. Perhaps that is why many find religion, which was a highly pivotal element in Le Corbeau, unappealing because of its ability to sway the emotions, if not the opinions, of several members.

Over time, I, myself, have become increasingly disturbed about the diminishing distinction between what is fact and what belongs only in the tabloids. Moreover, in the news, what is fact has taken a subordinate stature to what is public opinion, thus giving in to the truism that might makes right, even when the majority or those in power are actually in error. Le Corbeau is a small-scale, though significant, demonstration of how many can be influenced through their emotions and thus let their actions override their reflective and reasoning abilities. Furthermore, I was reminded of how potentially dangerous it can be for one to defer his or her thinking to that of others.

I give Le Corbeau five stars. It was well directed, well acted and well restored. This is a moral tale that, indeed, belongs to the priceless treasure list of the Criterion Collection.