Algiers. 1938. Directed by John Cromwell.

(8/19/01)

Algiers got better as it went along. The opening didn't impress me--police officers discussing the difficulty of extracting a fugitive from the Casbah. This includes an illustrated lecture about this section of Algiers. But by the end it was riveting. This film has great moments, fascinating performances and an abundance of atmosphere.

Charles Boyer shines in his signature role and Algiers is probably the film he will be most remembered for. He is commanding and pathetic. He reminds me of Sean Connery with a French accent. He plays the part of a strong man, an individualist brought down by the world around him. This is truly the story of a man against society. And it is woman that is his downfall.

Joseph Calleia really surprised me as the policeman or detective who engineers Pepe le Moko's downfall. He represents society, but it is a very malicious picture of society and I don't think he garners any sympathy. There doesn't seem to be anything noble about his attempts to draw Pepe out of the Casbah and capture him--it seems to be simply the pleasure of bringing someone down that motivates him. I suspect that he envies Pepe's power and ability to live on his own terms (sort of) and simply wants to prove himself better than Pepe. And he is not above using the most underhanded means to do so. And our sympathy is entirely with Pepe.

Hedy Lamarr is beautiful and exotic. She doesn't really do much, but she has presence. It is easy to understand Pepe's loving her and it is easy to understand her attraction to him. Boyer and Lamarr do generate a chemistry in their scenes together.

I think that one reason why Joseph Calleia's quest seems malicious or at least unsympathetic is that Boyer--whom he wishes to imprison--is already in a kind of prison. He is trapped. He can't return to his beloved Paris or even leave the Casbah--so why not leave the poor devil alone? Capturing Pepe le Moko doesn't seem to serve any purpose except gratifying one mean-spirited individual.

The Casbah itself is one of the main attractions of the film. It is mysterious, shadowy, labyrinthine, a place where one actually can be safe from the forces of law and the order they represent and from which a man who dares oppose the rules must be lured if he is to be caught. James Wong Howe's cinematography (and, I assume, the art direction) creates this magical underworld which retained much of its magic even in a 16mm print. (I would love to see Algiers in 35mm.)

The film has a number of gripping moments. The one that comes to my mind most is when a man who has betrayed one of Pepe's friends to the police comes back alone. Pepe and friends force him into a card game, waiting until their friend comes back. The man who knows he is to be found out is in a state of abject terror. (Boyer plays this scene so well.)

And when Pepe is going crazy with his sense of entrapment, the feeling is emphasized by the loud blaring of a phonograph. I would like an opportunity to compare Algiers with the French film on which it is based just to see how much of its qualities were present in the original.