Le Jour se lève

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Le Jour se lève
Film poster
Directed by	Marcel Carné
Written by	Jacques Prévert Jacques Viot
Starring	Jean Gabin Jules Berry Arletty
Music by	Maurice Jaubert
Cinematography	Philippe Agostini André Bac Albert Viguier Curt Courant
Editing by	René Le Hénaff
Distributed by	AFE
Release date(s)	June 9, 1939
Running time	93 min.
Language	French
IMDb profile

Le Jour se lève (or Daybreak) is a 1939 French film directed by Marcel Carné and written by Jacques Prévert, based on a story by Jacques Viot. It is considered one of the principal examples of the French film movement known as poetic realism.

The film was remade as The Long Night (1947), with Henry Fonda in the Gabin role. In 1952, it was included in the first Sight and Sound top ten greatest films list.

[edit] Synopsis

The film begins in the middle of the action. Factory worker François (Jean Gabin) kills Valentin (Jules Berry) and locks himself in his apartment, where he is besieged by the police.

In a flashback punctuated by glimpses of the present, it is revealed that François was involved with the young florist Françoise, and with Clara, who was formerly the assistant in Valentin's show. Valentin became jealous, although an older man, and eventually confronted François in his apartment, bringing the gun with which François then shot him.

As the sun rises, two men throw tear gas into François' apartment to drive him out. However, François is consumed with despair and shoots himself in the heart.