The great French contribution to the world cinema from the prolific era of the 30's and its "poetic realism". Similar to 'Port of Shadows' this is poetically brilliant movie. It's unique how it manages to blend down-to-earth characters and problems with visual and oral excellence. In this movie an ordinary worker reflects on how he came to killing a man and his reflections are showed in flashbacks. A future noir style was being conceived back then.

One of the touchstones for Jean Gabin's mystique - cool, yes, but also violent and doomed. Of course, in 1939, all of France felt doomed, so this image resonated. Director Marcel Carne (who was later maligned, possibly injustly, as a collaborator) brings poetic realist touches to an otherwise straightforward boy-meets-girl-who-is-infatuated-with-a-sleazy-older-guy narrative. The flashback structure, wherein Gabin remembers the events that led him to murder Jules Berry (remembering while holed up in his apartment with the police at the door), is handled well, more like a dream than reality. Arletty is excellent as Berry's ex-lover and Gabin's fling (but not the object of his amour): cynical and jaded and disappointed. The ending (doom arrives) caught me by surprise somehow - this is one that I will look forward to watching again to better perceive its true arc.

I think I missed some details thanks to lackluster subtitles. Oh well, my march to 1001 movies I must see before I buy the farm continues.

A film that affirms the notion that love may be the only thing that compels someone to live for the extraordinary.

The screenplay is by Jacques Prevert, the most accomplished dialogist of the period, and the famous sets, with their overtones of German expressionism, are by Alexander Trauner.

A beautiful example of Poetic Realism.

Le Jour Se Lève (Daybreak) is a film with a simple working class story that holds your interest throughout. It opens up with a shooting under mysterious circumstances but recreates the pertinent events through well executed flashbacks of the events that lead up to the shooting. The drama is spare but in the sense of effectively communicating the necessary elements that make the emotional makeup of the characters believable. All action occurs within a working class setting of a small industrial town. The stark shot of the factory against the sky and shop whistles creates the sense of a godless universe where individuals have resigned themselves to their meaningless routines. Within this bleak setting the protagonist recognizes and pursues his one chance at happiness but is forced to deal with an evil that chooses to feed off the emotions of others. Even though he speaks of "freedom" there is a foreboding sense of futility in his struggle. In a fit of emotional confrontation he chooses to destroy this evil and thus becomes a renegade from society. There is no escape for him from this closed universe and the final scene leaves us transfixed by its starkness.

A superior film, in many ways. One critic said it best, "...every frame here feels lived in." There's a powerful sense of reality & gripping emotion, all throughout., seething at a dramatic standstill. It had unlimited potential. But, unfortunately, did steer toward the safe route, in the end. Critics would say that was the case if it went the opposite way, but they only prove my point. An affecting story. Even the music is excellent. Poetic realism. Not to be missed. The romance seems so sweet.The use of chronology is interesting, in how it constructs a backlog of events that led to the character's current pitiable state.not sure about those weak-arse french guns, that take about 100 bullets to break a door lock open.One oddity is that I'm not sure how many women, even french, would be tolerable of their man "living" with someone else. But, apparently, they all fall in love with Gabin at first glance, despite his poverty.Even by film standards, there is no reason to believe that what was said would warrant a violent response, leading them to shoot & murder the person saying it. It was just kind of a random event made necessary to fulfill the obligations of the storyline. Is he really DRIVEN to murder?Valentin was well performed, but it was difficult to get the sense that he ever had anything real for Francoise, as we saw him with her for a total of 9 seconds.And annoyingly, every single European movie has to end in suicide, as it's considered the most profound activity to engage in.It does leave you with the sense that something about the relational stories are hollow -- that they did not pursue the fullest depth that they had the potential to reach.What could have been a superb film becomes a good one.-There seems to be one line or sentiment that bothers me in an otherwise superior film. It always attempts (falsely) to convey some kind of esoteric emotional understanding. When his neighbors are speaking to him at the window & try to convince him to turn himself in, because they all know that he's "a good chap", & will stand by him... I'm sorry, but he killed a man, & shot several times at police officers. I don't really care what happened before this, he relinquishes his right to be seen as a good chap. I understand that they were probably saying that to get him to do the right thing, but I believe it still needs to be said. It perpetuates the notion that everyone is "good" at heart, & even when they commit unspeakable crimes, it's only a a momentary lapse in judgment & not grounds to morally question the criminal. This skewed notion has plagued the West for many years. It minimizes the severity of evil acts, & unwittingly makes them more accessible, because they're not understood to be grave evils to be avoided, because, on a bad day, ANYONE could do them. And so we feel that if we, on a bad day, do something terrible, maybe we'll be understood as not necessarily evil, but possibly a good chap who made a mistake. It's a license. And it makes allowance. He was not a good chap. He was a chap who killed someone because he was annoyingly speaking suggestively of their mutual ex. That's evil. Rant over.

A good structural film told in flashbacks.

One of the best flashback narratives. Gabin is awesome and hard boiled as the doomed lover. Some of the transitions between scenes are breathtaking, and the supporting cast, sets and photography are excellent for the time. Timeless.

A somber, suspenseful tale -- mostly told in flashback -- about a good man (Jean Gabin) who is driven to murder. As he barricades himself in his upstairs apartment, avoiding the police and a voyeuristic crowd, the events leading to the killing are recounted. The story involves a choice between two lovers, along with a smooth-talking dog trainer who becomes an obstacle.The direction and cinematography are wonderful, but some aspects about the climax were unsatisfying for me. And did the police really make no effort to negotiate in those days?

Not a bad little film. Carne and Gabin soon became French legends and would go on to do superior work.

You can't get out of French Cinema 101 without coming across Marcel Carne, and if not "Hotel Du Nord", "Port of Shadows", and "Children of Paradise", this famous war's eve masterpiece usually suffices. Jean Gabin awaits his fate in a dingy hotel room after killing a man, reminiscing in flashback (one of the first important uses in film history) what led to the deed. Gabin is iconic, and the foggy atmosphere and aching tragic romantic interludes are a high point of the poetic realism movement.

awesome, i saw this a long time ago

one of the great doomed romantic epics of poetic realism, with director marcel carné, his writing partner, the poet jacques prévert, and the fatalistic hero of so many films of the era, jean gabin, all at the height of their powers. wonderful atmosphere