Irregular boxing film directed by Marcel Carné, which especially thanks to the starpower of Jean Gabin and Arnetty is still made a solid and enjoyable viewing.

To start off, and since we were just mentioning it, when it comes to the acting department, the veteran actors are the ones putting this film to another level, the married couple portrayed by Jean Gabin and Arnetty and the ups-and-downs of their relationship are the highlight that puts the film up a notch. If we had to depend on the younger couple, played by Roland Lesaffre and Marie Daëms, the movie would not probably be half as good. The rest of the cast deliver good performances, but their weight could be considered rather minimal to have any substantial impact.

Story-wise we find ourselves with the same dicotomy, as it has already been mentioned the relationship between Victor and Blanche Le Garrec (Gabin and Arnetty respectively) is attention-grabbing and enticing, while the younger couple love affair feels more superficial although a forced perception of hardship to push forward their love for each other (mainly due to class differences) is tried to be conveyed, quite unsuccessfully. In any case the strong point in the plot, and one that should be emphasized more, is the role that Le Garrec’s small gym plays in pro of the young people in the community to provide them of a place where they can feel that they belong and can express themselves without fear. Sadly, this aspect, which seems to be the initial drive of the story evolves to a more selfish perspective from Gabin’s character.

Finally, more on the aesthetical side, the clear element to pay attention to is the way how the fights are presented. And, truth be told it is not the best, I guess you can give it a pass and look to another side considering that it might have been one of the earliest pictures to represent boxing, but the reality is that the filming of them is too messy, rushed, cold and distant (precisely some of the things that initially were perceived as a hurdle by Martin Scorsese to film Raging Bull). But, in any case even years before you can find a film that, although using a completely different tone, gets you engaged in the in-ring dispute such as Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights. All that said, the atmosphere in the arena is great!

In conclusion, a skippable Carné. If you watch it you will not hate it, that is for sure, and if you are especially a Gabin fan, definitely watch it because he is the best thing in it. But, either way, there are better examples of both their work, including some that they also did in collaboration with each other.