A poor vegetable peddler in Paris runs afoul of the law and finds himself ground up in the cogs of the corrupt French judicial system.A poor vegetable peddler in Paris runs afoul of the law and finds himself ground up in the cogs of the corrupt French judicial system.A poor vegetable peddler in Paris runs afoul of the law and finds himself ground up in the cogs of the corrupt French judicial system.
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Did you know
- TriviaBanned in Belgium in 1923 on the grounds that it portrays a lack of respect of its laws.
- Alternate versionsIn 2005, Lobster Films copyrighted a 76-minute restored version of this film, with a music score composed by Antonio Coppola and performed by L'Octuor de France.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood: The Music of Light (1995)
Featured review
Feyder's First Critically-Acclaimed Film
Jacques Feyder possessed a unique eye towards filmmaking. Growing up in Belgium, Feyder took to acting on the French stage when he was older. His interests eventually morphed towards cinema, hired in 1914 by Gaumont Films as an assistant director. After serving in World War One, he secured a head director's position at Gaumont. When he helmed November 1922's "Crainquebille," critics realized they were witnessing a new style in film. There were no terms yet to describe Feyder's first critically-acclaimed movie, but his aesthetics transformed the look and feel of French movies, so much so that he influenced successor directors to a new cinematic form in what is now called 'poetic realism.'
French directors such as Jean Vigo, Julien Duvivier, Jean Renoir and Marcel Carne, have followed Feyder's pioneering aesthetics in recreating a naturalist look in movies, despite some sequences filmed inside a studio. Poetic realism follows a pattern of an outsider, frustrated with life, experiences an incident serving as a tipping point. Its characters possess both nostalgia and bitterness in the waning years of their lives.
"Crainquebille" is a quintessential poetic realistic film. Adapted from a Anatole France novel, the movie follows a poor aging vegetable street seller who is confronted by a police officer in the middle of a crowded city avenue who's demanding he move his cart. Waiting for money a customer promised to pay when she purchased a bunch of vegetables, the vendor said something the officer mistakenly thought was a threat on his life. He's arrested and hauled into court, where the proceedings become a surrealistic display of indifference and predetermined judgement on the poor man's guilt. The sequence, studied today for its framing and positioning of the court's participants, had an impact on the audience illustrating how stacked the deck is for those caught up in the web of so-called justice.
Once released from prison, the vendor sees his business ruined since he's shunned as an ex-convict. Facing starvation, he tries to get arrested again since prison gave him food and shelter. But frustrated at how arbitrary justice is, he's unable to return to the comforts of jail. Ready to jump off a bridge, he's talked out of it by a boy, played by Jean Forest. Feyder claimed he discovered Jean when he and his wife were dining in Montmartre and spotted him playing in the street with other boys. This was Forest's first of 12 films he was featured.
"Crainquebille" was hailed by critics as a major work in French cinema. Even D. W. Griffith, not the easiest man to please reviewing other directors' work, was effusive in his praise. "I have seen a film that, for me, symbolizes Paris," wrote the director. "That man with his barrow load of vegetables - what a striking image - and how forceful! A fine work, beautiful, compelling, bold!" The New York Times called "Crainquebille" one of the best movies of the year.
"Crainquebille" is a quintessential poetic realistic film. Adapted from a Anatole France novel, the movie follows a poor aging vegetable street seller who is confronted by a police officer in the middle of a crowded city avenue who's demanding he move his cart. Waiting for money a customer promised to pay when she purchased a bunch of vegetables, the vendor said something the officer mistakenly thought was a threat on his life. He's arrested and hauled into court, where the proceedings become a surrealistic display of indifference and predetermined judgement on the poor man's guilt. The sequence, studied today for its framing and positioning of the court's participants, had an impact on the audience illustrating how stacked the deck is for those caught up in the web of so-called justice.
Once released from prison, the vendor sees his business ruined since he's shunned as an ex-convict. Facing starvation, he tries to get arrested again since prison gave him food and shelter. But frustrated at how arbitrary justice is, he's unable to return to the comforts of jail. Ready to jump off a bridge, he's talked out of it by a boy, played by Jean Forest. Feyder claimed he discovered Jean when he and his wife were dining in Montmartre and spotted him playing in the street with other boys. This was Forest's first of 12 films he was featured.
"Crainquebille" was hailed by critics as a major work in French cinema. Even D. W. Griffith, not the easiest man to please reviewing other directors' work, was effusive in his praise. "I have seen a film that, for me, symbolizes Paris," wrote the director. "That man with his barrow load of vegetables - what a striking image - and how forceful! A fine work, beautiful, compelling, bold!" The New York Times called "Crainquebille" one of the best movies of the year.
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- springfieldrental
- Nov 22, 2021
Details
- Runtime50 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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