Description

The notorious Pepe le Moko (Jean Gabin, in a truly iconic performance) is a wanted man: women long for him, rivals hope to destroy him, and the law is breathing down his neck at every turn.On the lam in the labyrinthine Casbah of Algiers, Pepe is safe from the clutches of the police--until a Parisian playgirl compels him to risk his life and leave its confines once and for all.Once of the most influential films of the 20th century and a landmark of French poetic realism. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

ENGAGING & ROMANTIC FOREIGN ADVENTURE
One of the most influential films of the 20th century, PEPE LE MOCO has a legendary reputation for not being seen. In 1938 Hollywood remade it as Algiers, but kept the original off-limits. Jean Gabin, in a truly iconic performance, is the titular notorious and elegant master thief who is safe as long as he stays in the Casbah.

"Women long for him, his rivals want to destroy him, and the law is breathing down his neck..." Enter a Parisian playgirl and Pepe is compelled to risk his life and its confines once and for all.

This landmark crime romance is the precursor to film noir. Restored to full length, this digital transfer with new subtitles is loaded with extras including a 1962 interview with director Julien Duvivier. Highly recommended.

Pepe Le Moko
Having already seen the remake of "Pepe Le Moko" entitled "Algiers" years ago, I decided to see the remastered original, in March 2002 in the theatre. While I had appreciated Charles Boyer, I fell absolutely in love with Jean Gabin, and the entire film. What a masterpiece! I was really blown away, being intensely captivated for the 90 minutes or so, being in another time and place. I went to view it a second, and third time also. And the ending of "Pepe" is preferable to "Algiers." P.S. I'm waiting for the DVD also.

Not Believable
I'm afraid that I was disappointed by this 1936 movie of French gangsters in the Casbah. I suppose this was a copy of American gangster movies, but Jean Gabin as a suddenly love sick hard guy willing to risk prison for a pretty face is not believable. In fact, none of the characters seemed realistic. They were almost cartoonish. Humphrey Bogart or James Cagney in their 1930's gangster movies were far more realistic and their films hold up better. Because Gabin's love for Juline Duvivier is not developed, we can not understand why Pepe would give up the sexy life he has in his exotic world. The best part of the movie is Pepe's walk to the harbor. The camera follows him from behind and from unusual angles and cuts. There is a Citizen Kane feeling in these shots. The gritty tear scene at the end is interesting also. Technically this movie is not up to American Gangster movies, but you can see the influence on Godard in the 50's.

Rock the Casbah!
High quality movie with Jean Gabin as the handsome and cool gangster hiding out in the seedy Casbah where people are packed in like sardines. It's a romance with a fine mixture of adventure in an exotic setting, crime drama, colorful characters, and suspense all inspired by Gabin's love for a beautiful, unconventional woman.

Le Pew, I Agree.
One reviewer claimed this higly overrated film was the inspiration for Pepe Le Pew, the Looney Tunes cartoon character. I don't know if there is any truth to his claim, but I would say the Le Pew association works on another level: This film stinks! I hate everything about it, including its overdone art design, its terrible (and way too melodramatic) acting, its dreadful pacing and its derivative storyline. Don't waste your time. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Vivien is remarkable
She is clearly one of the best actresses of all time.The movie itself was not that great, but Vivien Leigh manages to bring some life into it. The movie falls when she's not on the screen.The quality of the movie is somewhat bad. There are times when the screen goes a little bit black and you cannot see what's going on. There's some problem with the speech,a few instances when you cannot hear properly. But overall phenomenal performance by Vivien Leigh.Buy it to see Vivien give yet another extraordinary performance.

Classic Tragedy
While this is not as sweeping an epic as Gone with the Wind, Vivien Leigh is still the beauty that makes this movie come alive. Even in black-and-white, she is stunningly beautiful and the costumes and authentic 19th century sets are perfect.

This is of course an adaptation of Tolstoy's novel and deals with a mother caught in a loveless marriage. She wants her stuffy bureaucrat husband's (Ralph Richardson) attention, but when he refuses to give her what she needs, she turns to army officer Vronsky.

The consequences of her search for love is unthinkable, yet does she really have any other way out of her absolute heartache? She can't have the love of her family and the love of her lover at the same time. It just isn't possible in this situation.

While we want to feel sympathy for Anna, her decision to pursue her own interests at the expense of her children's happiness seems unforgivable. She is likeable, just we can't understand why she doesn't find a way to protect her children and still pursue her passions.

This movie is covered in snow. There is snow swirling everywhere. The chilly aspects show the harshness of the situation. There is a scene by the fireplace which seems to warm up the movie, if slightly.

Tragedy and passion in an unforgiving society. A movie that, like the modern "Unfaithful," makes you think about consequence of action.

Another Great Role for Vivien Leigh
What a beautiful and talented actress she was! Though most only remember her for Gone With The Wind, Miss Leigh's other roles were equally captivating. My copy of the DVD is fine, no quality issues, and it features Miss Leigh on the cover, not Garbo as another reviewer mentioned.

On to the romance. Anna Karenina is locked in a loveless marriage to a much older count. She falls in love with a handsome, dashing younger man and defies society by running off with him. In one scene, she comes back "home" to sneak in to see her beloved young son, whom she left to pursue her passion. What a heart wrencing scene that is!

Treat yourself to a night of classic cinema. Buy Anna Karenina!

What a shame!
I can barely review the movie: everyone knows a movie adaptation of a great book like Anna Karenina is bound to have shortcomings. But let me tell you about this heck of a ghastly DVD production! Who on earth is behind this sloppy transfer? The movie was made in 1948, but you'd think it was 1918, looking at the hideously blurry, fuzzy, melted frames, and chopped soundtrack. Funny color gizmos even appear sometime for a split second on the screen, definite signs of the little care that was paid to the DVD production of this otherwise decent movie. A reviewer here mentionned the error in the poster on the cover (yes, that's Garbo indeed): if only that was the only sloppiness in this DVD output! Shame shame shame......

I can't believe it
This version of Tolstoi's classic isn't as good as the Garbo version, no doubt, although the lovely Vivien tries her best. What gets me is that they have chosen the wrong poster for the DVD edition, cause it's clearly Garbo who is in it, as any good fan could tell you. How can it be? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

True warriors and not sorry imitations...
I must confess I have rated it five stars because the novel is very good, and even if the film can't give justice to the scope or deepness of the plot for lack of film time (actually the end of the novel is far more interesting and less abrupt) it is a fair transcript of it, the direction is very good and Gabin shows what will make him an icon of french "cinematographie".
A "Bandera" was'nt a flag (but you still call a flag "bandera" too!), it's the name used to refer a battalion in "Tercio" organisation (originally two companies of fusiliers/grenadiers and one of machine-guns at first, and quite fast another company of fusiliers/grenadiers was added...), the Tercio expanded from Three Banderas to eventually Eight up to 1927.
I do not know who influenced who either William Wellman was influenced by it or the oposite as some scenes of his "Beau Geste" are quite similar in "cadre" (as when the troops are formed inside the fort before going to be split in "Beau Geste" causing the forced separation of the brothers, and in "La Bandera" it's the asking for "voluntarios" to go to certain death in a quasi suicidal mission, probably inspired in true fact as per "el blocao de la muerte"... see the excellent work "The Betrothed of Death" in english to know details about it...).
Now, Spain was well past his Might and Glory in the XXth century (having lost his remainig overseas possessions Cuba and the Phillipinnes to the USA in 1898), and was/is a poorer country than France, so his Foreign Legion, the true embrio of a professional army (really the name never catched and has always been known as the "Tercio" or the "Legion", and quite properly as his composition has never been so full of foreigners as his french model...) has'nt received the publicity or even their fare share of recognition as military values go, and undoubtedly hampered by their use in a cruel civil war ...
Rating the film lower will be not very just if you have in mind the time of shooting (1939),and it's more fair to compare it with "Morocco" that to "Beau Geste" due to the difference in budget and technical suport.
The REAL TROOPS used in the film are an unexpected bonus in it, and lovers of military history and uniformology will love it just for that (as I did). The military record of the Legion and his reputation is second to none and is particularly heroic in it's beginnings, Millan-Astray was the founder and true spirit behind it (and not a fascist at all, see his biography...) and Franco the soldier (not the dictator) was the brains behind him.
I was born in Barcelona and the scenes filmed in location are really nostalgic.
If you are able to watch it without prejudice, and concentrate in the Legion virtues forged by Milan-Astray, wich inspires the antics of the captain of Gabin/Gillieth company... then you'll watch a warriors film, and probably quite "true" for his time and not at all Hollywoodesque , (and forget the Spanish Civil War for two hours or less, after all wich country has'nt got a civil war at one time or another... time uses to put things in perspective... Nationalistic repression was rude after the war but if you think life was easy in Spain before and during the war in the "democratic" republican side and excesses were not commited too, then you've read too much Hemingway or Orwell...)
War isn't fair, but the men who must fight them sometimes achieve glory.
Romantic but realistic too, and really vintage (and for once I do not miss Dietrich or Cooper...).
The transfer is probably the best they could do about it, and I agree it's absolutly idiot to not be able to hide the subtitles but the world isn't perfect...
So, have a feel of what was a bitter colonial war 1920-1927 and see in action "the best infantry in the world" (as novelist/journalist Perez Reverte has brilliantly said: "it was the only remaining option..." the poor translation is mine.
Then, "legionarios a luchar, legionarios a morir" it is.

Duvivier and Gabin, not quite at the level of Pepe le Moko!
La Bandera is an earlier pairing of actor Jean Gabin and director Julien Duvivier prior to their much-imitated classic, Pepe le Moko. In La Bandera, both Duvivier and Gabin show flashes of their later brilliance in Pepe, but never quite hit the same level.

Bandera tells the story of Pierre Gilieth (Gabin). The film opens with Gilieth killing a man in Paris. The scene quickly shifts to a cheap boarding house in Barcelona, where Gilieth is hiding from the law... He is robbed one night and joins the Spanish Foreign Legion just to eat. His Legion unit is stationed in North Africa, and this is where the film shines. The African scenes were all filmed on location at actual Spanish Foreign Legion forts and towns. Locals and tribesmen are constantly sniping at the soldiers, but Duvivier makes these seem larger than life by never actually showing them. You never see the enemy in any of the combat sequences, and somehow this makes them seem more threatening.

Once in Africa, Gilieth and his mates start to frequent a brothel and Gilieth falls in love and marries a local girl. He also develops a conflict with another soldier, who may or may not be a real threat to him...

If you see the amazon.com trivia section, you'll notice that this film was originally dedicated to Spanish General Franco, and that this was removed after the Spanish Civil War. Its interesting as this film had to be made just prior to the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, and in fact uses scenes of real Spanish Legion soldiers. These soldiers were in fact Franco's shock troops of the civil war and his real power base both prior to the conflict and during it. I suppose its nothing more than historical trivia, but in a way it accounts for the way La Bandera has been generally forgotten. I know this film has also been compared (a little unfavorably) with Beau Geste, but I suspect the way it glorifies the Spanish Legion just prior to the Spanish Civil war and the Legion's role in the fascist victory accounts for the film's relative obscurity...

Regarding the dvd, I'm a bit disappointed. The film is watchable, for sure, but the transfer is nowhere near the quality of something Criterion or Kino would produce. There is plenty of dirt and noise, and the print itself is quite soft (usually indicating a bad attempt at cleaning it). The soundtrack has plenty of noise and hiss, and is obviously untouched. Compared to some recent Criterion releases from similar dates that look like they were produced yesterday, the La Bandera transfer is a disappointment. Perhaps worse, the English subtitles are not great, and are non-removable, so even if you can understand the French you are stuck watching the film with bad subtitles.

In any case, La Bandera is a pleasant diversion for anybody who enjoys older adventure films or early French cinema. It provides a chance to see two famous stars, director Duvivier and actor Jean Gabin before they completely hit their stride, and yet the result is sill entertaining and energetic. Gabin in particular really shows flashes of his later charm! You won't be disappointed! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

True warriors and not sorry imitations...
I must confess I have rated it five stars because the novel is very good, and even if the film can't give justice to the scope or deepness of the plot for lack of film time (actually the end of the novel is far more interesting and less abrupt) it is a fair transcript of it, the direction is very good and Gabin shows what will make him an icon of french "cinematographie".
A "Bandera" was'nt a flag (but you still call a flag "bandera" too!), it's the name used to refer a battalion in "Tercio" organisation (originally two companies of fusiliers/grenadiers and one of machine-guns at first, and quite fast another company of fusiliers/grenadiers was added...), the Tercio expanded from Three Banderas to eventually Eight up to 1927.
I do not know who influenced who either William Wellman was influenced by it or the oposite as some scenes of his "Beau Geste" are quite similar in "cadre" (as when the troops are formed inside the fort before going to be split in "Beau Geste" causing the forced separation of the brothers, and in "La Bandera" it's the asking for "voluntarios" to go to certain death in a quasi suicidal mission, probably inspired in true fact as per "el blocao de la muerte"... see the excellent work "The Betrothed of Death" in english to know details about it...).
Now, Spain was well past his Might and Glory in the XXth century (having lost his remainig overseas possessions Cuba and the Phillipinnes to the USA in 1898), and was/is a poorer country than France, so his Foreign Legion, the true embrio of a professional army (really the name never catched and has always been known as the "Tercio" or the "Legion", and quite properly as his composition has never been so full of foreigners as his french model...) has'nt received the publicity or even their fare share of recognition as military values go, and undoubtedly hampered by their use in a cruel civil war ...
Rating the film lower will be not very just if you have in mind the time of shooting (1939),and it's more fair to compare it with "Morocco" that to "Beau Geste" due to the difference in budget and technical suport.
The REAL TROOPS used in the film are an unexpected bonus in it, and lovers of military history and uniformology will love it just for that (as I did). The military record of the Legion and his reputation is second to none and is particularly heroic in it's beginnings, Millan-Astray was the founder and true spirit behind it (and not a fascist at all, see his biography...) and Franco the soldier (not the dictator) was the brains behind him.
I was born in Barcelona and the scenes filmed in location are really nostalgic.
If you are able to watch it without prejudice, and concentrate in the Legion virtues forged by Milan-Astray, wich inspires the antics of the captain of Gabin/Gillieth company... then you'll watch a warriors film, and probably quite "true" for his time and not at all Hollywoodesque , (and forget the Spanish Civil War for two hours or less, after all wich country has'nt got a civil war at one time or another... time uses to put things in perspective... Nationalistic repression was rude after the war but if you think life was easy in Spain before and during the war in the "democratic" republican side and excesses were not commited too, then you've read too much Hemingway or Orwell...)
War isn't fair, but the men who must fight them sometimes achieve glory.
Romantic but realistic too, and really vintage (and for once I do not miss Dietrich or Cooper...).
The transfer is probably the best they could do about it, and I agree it's absolutly idiot to not be able to hide the subtitles but the world isn't perfect...
So, have a feel of what was a bitter colonial war 1920-1927 and see in action "the best infantry in the world" (as novelist/journalist Perez Reverte has brilliantly said: "it was the only remaining option..." the poor translation is mine.
Then, "legionarios a luchar, legionarios a morir" it is.

Duvivier and Gabin, not quite at the level of Pepe le Moko!
La Bandera is an earlier pairing of actor Jean Gabin and director Julien Duvivier prior to their much-imitated classic, Pepe le Moko. In La Bandera, both Duvivier and Gabin show flashes of their later brilliance in Pepe, but never quite hit the same level.

Bandera tells the story of Pierre Gilieth (Gabin). The film opens with Gilieth killing a man in Paris. The scene quickly shifts to a cheap boarding house in Barcelona, where Gilieth is hiding from the law... He is robbed one night and joins the Spanish Foreign Legion just to eat. His Legion unit is stationed in North Africa, and this is where the film shines. The African scenes were all filmed on location at actual Spanish Foreign Legion forts and towns. Locals and tribesmen are constantly sniping at the soldiers, but Duvivier makes these seem larger than life by never actually showing them. You never see the enemy in any of the combat sequences, and somehow this makes them seem more threatening.

Once in Africa, Gilieth and his mates start to frequent a brothel and Gilieth falls in love and marries a local girl. He also develops a conflict with another soldier, who may or may not be a real threat to him...

If you see the amazon.com trivia section, you'll notice that this film was originally dedicated to Spanish General Franco, and that this was removed after the Spanish Civil War. Its interesting as this film had to be made just prior to the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, and in fact uses scenes of real Spanish Legion soldiers. These soldiers were in fact Franco's shock troops of the civil war and his real power base both prior to the conflict and during it. I suppose its nothing more than historical trivia, but in a way it accounts for the way La Bandera has been generally forgotten. I know this film has also been compared (a little unfavorably) with Beau Geste, but I suspect the way it glorifies the Spanish Legion just prior to the Spanish Civil war and the Legion's role in the fascist victory accounts for the film's relative obscurity...

Regarding the dvd, I'm a bit disappointed. The film is watchable, for sure, but the transfer is nowhere near the quality of something Criterion or Kino would produce. There is plenty of dirt and noise, and the print itself is quite soft (usually indicating a bad attempt at cleaning it). The soundtrack has plenty of noise and hiss, and is obviously untouched. Compared to some recent Criterion releases from similar dates that look like they were produced yesterday, the La Bandera transfer is a disappointment. Perhaps worse, the English subtitles are not great, and are non-removable, so even if you can understand the French you are stuck watching the film with bad subtitles.

In any case, La Bandera is a pleasant diversion for anybody who enjoys older adventure films or early French cinema. It provides a chance to see two famous stars, director Duvivier and actor Jean Gabin before they completely hit their stride, and yet the result is sill entertaining and energetic. Gabin in particular really shows flashes of his later charm! You won't be disappointed! ... Read more