Michael Lilly The film being produced during the Nazi occupation years by André Paulvé and directed by Marcel Carné leaves some stones not turned over but in spite of all things related to the weather, financing, and German ultimate control of film production. 'Les Visiteurs du Soir,' is a firm declaration that true love can survive in spite of any of the devil's attempts to refute any realism and transcendence of the love between two human souls.A devil's envoy falls in love with Anne, a woman who is engaged to marry another man. Gilles has signed an agreement in blood with the devil to relinquish his soul and must therefore assist him in obtaining more souls. Dominique, also a devil's envoy, gets both Barons Renaud and Hugue to accept the love of herself, despite the fact that she is incapable of loving. Obtaining promises from both of them is enough.

avidnewbie I'll be the first to admit that I am probably a little more adventurous than many of my movie watching friends and co-workers. Whereas a majority of them will stick to recent or popular fare I have taken an active interest in the history of the film industry and thus will often research great movies from the past. I'm curious to know if movies that have been universally acclaimed as great or classic films are truly great or are they merely reaping the benefit of nostalgia. A movie could be great for it's time or classic in a sense of the era that it was created in or even by who was involved in it's creation. I think it's safe to say that the technological advances in the modern film industry are unprecedented and cannot be ignored. With that being said, technology, in my opinion, cannot replace, diminish or supersede intelligent writing, inspired direction and career-defining performances by legendary actors. The passage of time and the boundaries of language can't lesson the ability of art to captivate those who appreciate artistic things. This is the case with "Les Visituers Du Soir". Despite it's lack of color imagery and it's French only audio or it's age (released in 1942) Marcel Carne's medieval fantasy does not fail to entertain. In doesn't attempt to overwhelm or distract you with excessive action or special effects like most modern fantasies. Rather it delivers convincing depictions of a time and a place that we could only read about before. It's characters and their motivations are easy to relate to and it's pacing is both leisurely and deliberate. It's themes of love, lust, happiness, sadness, jealousy, rejection, hope and despair are universal. I won't cover the plot because so many others have done so but I will give this film my unconditional recommendation to fans of world cinema or just cinema in general. See it.

Spondonman This was the fifth of the six Great films directed by Marcel Carne between 1937 & 1945, again with writing collaboration from Jacques Prevert, and perhaps the most neglected. So much so I've yet to see a good print, my latest one from French TV seems to have horses galloping (albeit softly) throughout the soundtrack while the film seems to have been bashed about a bit. Never mind; Carne's career was littered with excellent films but Visiteurs was one of his best - maybe it's best seen now without thinking of metaphorical allusions to the then resistance against the Nazis (except as a piece de resistance?) And the best was still a few years off: the utter magnificence of Les Enfants Du Paradis.France 1485: shady Gilles (square jawed Cuny) and Dominique (worldly wise Arletty) arrive at Baron Hugues castle as melancholic minstrels intent on disrupting the marriage preparations going on – as any self respecting devilish envoy would. Alas it goes awry for Gilles when he actually does fall in love with Anne the Baron's daughter (Dea) but Arletty manages to keep to her usual cynical straight and narrow course, and leads the Baron off his. It's beautifully photographed on black & white nitrate film capturing atmospheric sunny days and romantic arc-moonlit nights, gorgeous costumes and fascinating sets equally well. One can almost smell the fresh air! One slight downer: the three midgets go from startling to plain irritating with their omnipresence. It's all about Love, Honour & Purity poetically and elegantly related – which makes the denouement with the supposedly pure Anne and the for once nonplussed Devil so delightful and droll. Even if out of scope for him he should still have been able to guess that all's fair in love!Remember: the Devil will always find work for idle hands to do, including his own. Watch it for a thoughtful two hours of breath taking beauty strolling through a lost world as portrayed by another lost world. Next: Les Enfants Du Paradis.

writers_reign The beauty of this stand-out collaboration between Jacques Prevert and Marcel Carne - in the middle of their great hitting streak - is that it works even without the 'coded' references which were a necessity at a time of German Occupation in France. So even when you watch Jules Berry as just the Devil and not a symbol for Hitler and likewise view the two visitors not as symbols of the Resistance but merely two wandering minstrels it still plays and you'll go a long way to find a more poetic image/symbol than Prevert's finale in which the Devil turns the lovers to stone before our eyes yet their hearts keep on beating. Not least of the pleasures on offer is future icon Simone Signoret as an extra but the whole schmeer, complete with some tasty lyrics by Prevert, is a total delight. 8/10