This early or at least proto-film noir came out the year in between Jean Renoir's two most esteemed films, Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game. I recall vaguely liking both of them, but very few details have stayed with me. Perhaps a change of genre and a story by Émile Zola would make the difference for me. Of course, just having this blog reinforces my memories.
Engineer Roubaud jealously coerces his wife, Séverine, into aiding and abetting his murder of her erstwhile paramour, Grandmorin, in a shaded train compartment. Another engineer, Lantier, sees them go to and from the compartment but refrains from testifying against them. After all, Lantier has his own designs on Séverine....
You might have guessed that the titular beast is Roubaud, but it's actually Lantier, who doesn't need as good a reason as jealousy to fall into a murderous mood. Only when I read up on the story afterward did I understand that he has a tendency to irrational compulsions to kill attractive women -- one that runs in the family, as counterintuitive as that sounds.
Then again, you might apply the label to any major character, as befits noir. Séverine is not your stereotypical femme fatale, but she still urges Lantier to do away with Roubaud. Even Grandmorin, whom we never properly meet, has done some despicable things, despite court claims of his unimpeachable character.
Lantier is not the only one whose actions surprised me sometimes. It can be hard to know where one stands with Séverine. Roubaud, for all his recent jealousy, doesn't seem to mind her straying toward Lantier. (Perhaps sparing him a conviction counts for that much.) He retains an odd sort of respect for the deceased by refusing to spend or let Séverine spend Grandmorin's stolen money -- until desperate, that is.
Renoir indicated in an included interview that he liked the unpredictability of the characters. It reflects the reality that people are not so cookie-cutter. He also chose rather innocent-looking actors, as that makes them more relatable. The audience may realize that just because we don't see ourselves as monsters doesn't mean we'll never have our moments.
Indeed, realism is the biggest plus for this project. Everything was shot not on studio sets but in places that engineers might well frequent. This meant, among other things, that certain actors had to learn the ropes of running a train, getting practice with regular passengers aboard. Good thing there were no accidents on that account.
Unfortunately, I've noticed a weakness common to efforts at realism: simple plots. The Wikipedia summary barely manages two paragraphs, and there's not much more than I've given away myself. That level of simplicity threatens boredom, even in a movie that goes for a dark atmosphere and thrills on occasion. I understand that the book features a bit more.
Another possible weakness comes from lack of a formula. You may think that's totally favorable, but when I have little idea of what to expect next, I often wonder whether the work has lost its sense of direction and thus its point at continuation. At several points, I thought the story was about to end, tho the eventual ending was more satisfying.
Well, let's face it: Renoir wanted to perturb his audience. While not as shocking as it once was, the result still works. If you want to get out of your comfort zone, this isn't a bad choice. If you want sheer enjoyment, you probably ought to keep looking.
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