Le Voyageur de la Toussaint (1943)
Directed by Louis Daquin

Film Review

Louis Daquin's follow-up to his remarkable debut feature, the boldly realist drama Nous les gosses (1941), is an altogether different kind of film - a hauntingly poetic interpretation of Georges Simenon's crime novel Le Voyageur de la Toussaint.  Prior to this, there had been eight adaptations of Simenon novels, the only ones of any real merit being Julien Duvivier's La Tête d'un homme (1933) and Les Inconnus dans la maison (1942).  What sets these two films apart from the others is how perfectly they capture the distinctive mood of the author's novels, that indefinable aura of solitude and oppression which is as tangible as a cold autumn mist, and just as unsettling.  Le Voyageur de la Toussaint has the same quality, most visibly in the opening sequences which show the central character setting foot in the fog-shrouded sea town of La Rochelle.  Immediately, we sense the danger that surrounds him, as a fly might when it becomes snared by a spider's web.

Although Daquin proved himself to be a very versatile filmmaker, his reputation today rests on a handful of socially conscious dramas, in particular his 1949 film Le Point du jour, a scathing critique of the conditions under which miners had to work at the time.  Daquin began his career by working as an assistant to Marcel Lherbier (on Feu Mathias Pascal) and Jean Grémillon (on Gueule d'amour and L'Étrange Monsieur Victor), whose realist influence can be seen in the films he would go on to direct.  A militant communist, Daquin seldom kept his politics out of his films, and this would ultimately be his undoing, as his views were not always appreciated by the cinema-going public.  During the Occupation (1940-1944), Daquin was active in the French Resistance and it is tempting to read an anti-Nazi or anti-Pétainist subtext into his films, especially Le Voyageur de la Toussaint, the darkest film he made during this period.  The mysterious syndicate which appears to have complete control of the town, and whose members all have shady pasts, has a collaborationist stench about it, whilst the family, a key pillar of Maréchal Pétain's idea of patriotism, is portrayed as a rotten fruit, with its misguided loyalties and deadly rivalries.  The film's darker purpose (i.e. commentary on the Occupation) is further emphasised by its moody, high-contrast lighting and exaggerated use of low camera angles, film noir touches that bring an unremitting aura of menace. 

A Franco-Italian co-production, the film benefited from having a substantial budget which is reflected in its prestigious cast.  The charismatic Italian actress Assia Noris is an admirable choice for the lead female role, supported by three of France's most distinguished character actors: Jules Berry, Gabrielle Dorziat and Guillaume de Sax.  Although he is best known for his outright villainous portrayals, such as the ghastly capitalist Batala in Jean Renoir's Le Crime de Monsieur Lange (1936), Berry is at his best when he is cast in more ambiguous roles, such as the one he plays here, with a nauseating mix of charm, deviousness and forced bonhomie.  Dorziat's forbidding matron-like presence makes her ideal for the part of Madame Éloi, a darker (and deadlier) version of the character Aunt Léo she played so memorably in Jean Cocteau's Les Parents terribles (1948).

Making his screen debut (in the principal male role) is a rather dashing Jean Desailly, an actor who would feature prominently in French films of the 1940s and 50s, although he is best remembered today for his role in François Truffaut's La Peau douce (1964).  Another comparative newcomer who can hardly fail to make an impact is Serge Reggiani - he would become an even bigger star than Desailly, although he had far more success as a singer than as an actor. With his rugged looks and overpowering charisma, Reggiani was perfect for the part of the young tearaway Bob Éloi, and his presence gives the film a startling modernity.

Whilst Le Voyageur de la Toussaint is far from being Louis Daquin's most inspired film it is unquestionably one of the best adaptations of a Georges Simenon novel.  Not only does it faithfully render the mood of Simenon's unmistakably bleak world, it also seems to convey something of those long, dark years of Occupation - the habitual mistrust of others, the fear of betrayal, the longing for escape. In 1943, when the film was first released, the mood in France could not have been grimmer, so its upbeat ending must have brought some consolation, just when it was needed most.  You can imagine Daquin standing behind the camera, urging his audience not to give up hope.  It is always darkest before the dawn...

Film Synopsis

After the death of his parents, Gilles Mauvoisin returns to his hometown of La Rochelle.  On his arrival, he is surprised to learn that his uncle, the successful businessman Octave Mauvoisin, has recently died and left him his entire fortune.  Under the terms of Mauvoisin's will, Gilles must allow his young widow, Colette, to continue living in his house and should try to find the combination to a safe which contains a valuable prize.  Gilles has barely settled into his new life when he begins to feel threatened by several of his uncle's former business associates, members of a mysterious syndicate.  He then learns that his aunt Colette has been having an affair with a married man, Dr Sauvaget.  When the latter's wife dies, having been poisoned, Colette is immediately suspected of having murdered her husband.  Mauvoisin's body is exhumed and found to contain traces of poison.  With his aunt in prison awaiting trial for murder, Gilles begins his own investigation and discovers far more than he had bargained for...