Poetic realism was a new movement in France. A loosely conceived feeling that lasted for merely a short time; sandwiched between the two great wars. The idea of a poetic realist was usually embodied by a male hero and the universe was called a doomed one as the heroes of poetic realism would often end up perishing. This loose feeling of poetics was never fully realized as an ideology or movement like the soviet montage or French impressionism. (Gillespie)
Relating this short French idea to the film, Pépé Le Moko is realatively easy. This style of Poetic realism is highly evident in this film. As we see the shots of the city, they are quite beautiful and to me quite poetic but yet a gritty realism touched the landscape. The Poetic realist was embodied by Pépé, the male hero of the story. He lives a glorified life as a thief, living among the squalor and crowded cobwebs of streets in the Kasbah of Tangiers. So we see a poetic sort of man who shouldn’t belong in the older quarter of the city almost in charge of the rogues of the city, defining the realism. Also at the end of the film the poetic realist’s life is extinguished for a romantic, poetic sort of reason, he ends his life because of love.
This whole concept of poetic realism and the tragic end the hero meets reflected the gloomy time before World War II and sets the mood for the years during the war.
Gillespie, John. "Poetic Realism: the Film Genre a Director Died to Make." n. pag. Web. 17 Sep 2009.
Paradigm – n. A pattern or archetype; A set of forms all of which contain a particular element, esp. the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme or an example serving as a model; pattern.
Erin, You are off to a good start in analyzing the "poetic realist" elements of the film. I'd like for you to go deeper in looking at the film and your own reactions. I'd also love to hear what you think about the "anti-hero" figure.
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