Port of Shadows

Port of Shadows ( , "The dock of mists") is a 1938 French film directed by Marcel Carné. An example of poetic realism, it stars Jean Gabin, Michel Simon and Michèle Morgan. The screenplay was written by Jacques Prévert based on a novel by Pierre Mac Orlan. The music score was by Maurice Jaubert. The film was the 1939 winner of France's top cinematic prize, the Prix Louis-Delluc. According to Charles O'Brien, the film would be one of the first to be called "film noir" by critics (1939, France). Plot On a foggy night, Jean (Jean Gabin), an army deserter, catches a ride to the port city of Le Havre. Hoping to start over, Jean finds himself in a lonely bar at the far edge of town. However, while getting a good meal and civilian clothes, Jean meets Nelly (Michèle Morgan), a 17-year-old who has run away from her godfather, Zabel, with whom she lives. Jean and Nelly spend time together over the following days, but they are often interrupted by Zabel, who is also in love with her, and by Lucien, a gangster who is looking for Nelly's ex-boyfriend, Maurice, who has recently gone missing. Jean resents the intrusions of Lucien and twice humiliates him by slapping him. When Nelly finds out that her godfather killed Maurice out of jealousy, she uses the information to blackmail him and prevent him from telling the police that Jean is a deserter. Though the two are in love, Jean plans to leave on a ship for Venezuela. At the last minute Jean leaves the ship to say goodbye to Nelly; he saves her from the hands of Zabel, whom he kills, but when they go out on to the street he is shot in the back by Lucien and dies in her arms. Cast Jean Gabin as Jean Michel Simon as Zabel Michèle Morgan as Nelly Pierre Brasseur as Lucien Édouard Delmont as Panama Raymond Aimos as Quart Vittel Robert Le Vigan as Le peintre René Génin as Le docteur Marcel Pérès as Le chauffeur Léo Malet as Le soldat Jenny Burnay as L'amie de Lucien Roger Legris as Le garçon d'hôtel Martial Rèbe as Le client