Director

Marcel Carné

1906 – 1996

Who they are

Born: 18 August 1906, Paris, France
Died: 31 October 1996
Known for: Port of Shadows, Hôtel du Nord, Daybreak

Marcel Carné (1906–1996) was a French director and former film critic. With screenwriter Jacques Prévert he made the defining works of French poetic realism, fatalistic dramas set among ordinary people. His wartime epic Children of Paradise is widely regarded as a landmark of French cinema.

Where to start

Port of Shadows (1938)In the library
Fatalistic romance with Jean Gabin that became the emblem of poetic realism and established Carné internationally.
Hôtel du Nord (1938)Log in to add it to the library
Atmospheric ensemble drama set around a Paris canal-side hotel, showing his gift for studio-built working-class milieus.
Daybreak (1939)Log in to add it to the library
Bleak tragedy starring Jean Gabin, a high point of the Carné–Prévert partnership just before the war.
The Devil's Envoys (1942)In the library
Medieval fantasy made under the Occupation, read by many as allegory of resistance to tyranny.
Children of Paradise (1945)Full guide
His masterpiece: a sweeping tale of theatre and love in 1840s Paris, made during the Occupation.

Their films in the library

Awards

1938 Venice Film Festival: Best Director for Port of Shadows
1979 Honorary César for career achievement

The full list · 27

1929Nogent, Eldorado du dimancheLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1936JennyLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1937Bizarre, BizarreLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1938Port of ShadowsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1938Hôtel du NordLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1939DaybreakLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1942The Devil's EnvoysLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1945Children of ParadiseLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1946Gates of the NightLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1950Marie of the PortLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1951Juliette, or Key of DreamsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1953Thérèse RaquinLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1954Air of ParisLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1956The Country I Come FromLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1958The CheatersLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1960WastelandLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1963Chicken Feed for Little BirdsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1965Three Rooms in ManhattanLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1967The Birth of Children of ParadiseLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
1968Young WolvesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1971Law BreakersLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1974The Marvelous VisitLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1977The BibleLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1995Marcel Carné: My Life in FilmLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
20191940: Taking over French CinemaLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)
2019Carné, Prévert : drôle de duoLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)
2020Le Fantôme de Laurent TerzieffLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)

Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.