Poetic Realism in French Cinema

The Poetic Realism movement existed in France during the 1930's. The inspiration for many of these films came from realist literature or original scripts, and the subject matter was focused on working-class lives. Before American film noir, these French films utilized cynical world views and dark cinematography. Most importantly, the films under the Poetic Realism title contain a lead character who is usually a morally ambiguous underdog, much like the later American film noir films. These men often fight hard for what they want, but usually die trying.

Pépé le Moko (1936), directed by Julien Duvivier, features Pepe le Moko who is hiding out from the law in the steep, winding landscape of Casbah of Algiers. Pepe le Moko is most concerned with escaping to Paris without being caught, mostly so he can start a live with the beautiful girl draped in diamonds who steals his heart. The underdog is definitely present, as standard in Poetic Realism films. Pepe fights corruption from his own people and almost reaches a clean start, but of course, is caught in the end and ends up taking his life.

Word Study from the readings: "xenophobic"

1912, coined from Gk. xenos "foreign, stranger" + phobos "fear" (see phobia).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

–noun

an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange. Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.