The Last Turning (1939) User Reviews

The first adaptation of Cain's classic novel

[jrd_73 · 6/10 · 3 July 2014]

Le Dernier Tournant is the first film adaptation of the classic James M. Cain novel. Like all of the adaptations (especially Ossessione) which followed, Le Dernier Tournant probably takes more time to watch, even at ninety minutes, than the Cain novel would to read. The Postman Always Rings Twice is one fast paced novel. It is a slim text that grabs a reader and propels him through in no time. One of the reasons for this is Cain's hardboiled narration. Strangely, none of the adaptations have made much use of Cain's narration.

Despite this, Le Dernier Tournant follows Cain's plot closely. The investigation is altered, but the end result is the same in both novel and film. In addition, all of the actors turn in good performances. Corinne Luchaire has an earthy beauty that is a nice contrast to the more glamorous actresses who have played the role (Lana Turner, Jessica Lange), and she fills out a sweater well. The direction is seldom flashy, but it tells the story economically. There are a handful of well done scenes. Particularly effective are the murder attempts, climaxing with the haunting use of an echo.

Le Dernier Tournant is no forgotten masterpiece, just a solid 1930's melodrama. It's still a far cry from the James M. Cain novel though.

Last Post

[writers_reign · 8/10 · 15 December 2008]

I confess to a soft spot for Pierre Chenal, a solid, dependable Second Eleven director in French cinema who tends to be unfairly neglected today. Here he turns in the first movie adaptation of James M Cain's noir classic The Postman Always Rings Twice with a screenplay by one of the best French screenwriters of the day, fellow Belgian Charles Spaak. The one weak link is Fernand Gravey who was far more at home in his previous role as Johannes Strauss in Duvivier's The Great Waltz. Gravey just doesn't have the virile quality and raw, animal passion that John Garfield brought to the Tay Garnett version. Corinne Luchaire is acceptable as Cora though IMDb don't rate the leading female star important enough to give her a credit until you click 'more'. We may well have heard more from this promising actress had she not had the misfortune to be the daughter of a collaborationist who was shot after the war whilst she herself was banned from filming for ten years. THE performance, of course, is that of Michel Simon, one of the all-time great French actors, who is excellent as Nick Marino the cuckolded husband and murder victim. We must also mention a fourth member of the cast, Robert Le Vigan, who enhanced almost every film in which he appeared. Fine movie, shame about the leading man.

A bend badly taken.

[ulicknormanowen · 8/10 · 1 February 2020]

The last line of the movie : "Le jour se lève." (=it's daybreak ) ; it is also the title of Marcel Carné's 1939 masterpiece .It won't be lost on a 2020 audience who knows both works.

Both really fit into the black picture of the situation of the country in 1939;both works were blacklisted by the office catholique du cinema ;Carné's work was even forbidden by the military censorship as demoralizing.

Chenal's work has to be upgraded : it was not the first time he had broached film noir (see "La maison du maltais " and "l'alibi") ,but it was the apex of his pre-war years ;five years after being published in the US ,it took a lot of guts to transfer such a filthy story to the screen; its atmosphere surpasses that of Tay Garnett which looks almost "hollywoodian" compared to it : a murky one ;although the action takes place in the south of France ,never some sunlight does break through on this dark gloomy gas station,even after the owner's death ,or should I say mainly after the murder ; the scene when the couple dances a valse musette to the tune of Simon's accordion looks almost like a danse macabre ;it should be a joyful relief , it's painful to watch.

Of course Michel Simon is prodigious ,but Corinne Luchaire also rises to the occasion ; her playing was modern for the time and she easily outclasses glamorous Lana Turner .Her Cora seems unable to react to events ,she had never been happy (she told it so to Frank) and she knew she never would .She seems to be living in a dream (or a nightmare ) in the "accident" scene . Gravey ,on the other hand , is just okay ,and John Garfield would outshine him.

This movie and "La Foire Aux Chimères" (1946) are Chenal's towering achievements ;in both movies , a man (Simon in this one, Von Stroheim in the other one) is victim of a femme fatale (who is also a victim herself ).

Corinne Luchaire's fate was as cruel as Cora's.

The hubby steals the show.

[dbdumonteil · 9 April 2003]

The first of the four versions of "postman always rings twice" is not uninteresting.Its main asset is Michel Simon's presence:he was one of the greatest French actors ever and he easily outshines Fernand Gravey and Corinne Luchaire as the lovers and all the other actors who would take on the hubby's part.It does not cut,however,Visconti's version and even Tay Garnett's in my humble opinion;on the other hand ,I've always thought that the Rafelson Nicholsonesque version was overblown and the weakest of the lot.

Pierre Chenal would never equal this success:the end of his career never finds back the noir atmosphere of his pre-war movies."La foire aux Chimères" ,his chef d'oeuvre, was a different matter.

Drive carefully

[AAdaSC · 7/10 · 11 February 2024]

For all those who have cars, please drive carefully and not like the lunatic that is Fernand Gravey (Frank) in this film. He is an unpleasant drifter who arrives at an isolated petrol station and stays on to help with the business on the request of owner Michel Simon (Nick). Simon is lonely and wants a friend to talk to. He has a much younger attractive wife - Corinne Luchaire (Cora) - but that doesn't count for company does it! The only reason Gravey accepts this offer is because of the much younger attractive wife. I think we can see trouble brewing....

The cast are good apart from Gravey who is not good at all in the lead role mainly due to his unpleasant nature. You just cannot relate to him and he doesn't seem to be able to produce any acting nuances that could help build tension. He's just a straightforward arse-hole.

The language in this film is funny as the dialogue is very direct. These people say what they feel - ha ha. My wife particularly enjoyed the lines as spoken by Luchaire when she tells Gravey that she is beginning to like him less and less. I hear this on a regular basis!

We get a body count that seems disproportionately high given the number of characters we are introduced to. The introduction of judge Marcel Vallée and the blackmailing cousin Robert Le Vigan add to the tension as they both have suspicions about the actions of Gravey and Luchaire. The film unfolds as a tragedy and is an enjoyable first run of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'.

First Movie Version

[boblipton · 7/10 · 23 May 2023]

Rootless Fernand Gravey bums a meal off gas station/cafe owner Michel Simon. Simon takes a liking to him and offers him a job handling the pumps at night. Gravey isn't interested until he sees Simon's wife, Corinne Luchaire. Soon they are hot and heavy with each other, and start to think about killing the clueless, disgusting Simon.

It's the first movie version of James M. Cain's THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, and it's far more frank about what's going on and the weakness of Gravey and Luchaire. Simon plays one of his monsters, a man who disgusts his wife, whines, and loves everyone indiscriminately. Charles Spaak's script is capably brought to the screen by Pierre Chenal.

Postman started to ring in France

[pierrealix · 10/10 · 12 May 2001]

Its not widely known..but "le dernier tournant" has been the First Adaptation of James M Cain Novel 's "Postman always ring twice" and by far the best..Just watch France Greatest Actor Michel Simon play !! the movie came out immediately before Nazis occupied France and the Sensual Corinne Luchaire was sadly thrown in jail after 1944 because of her father's German sympathy...Still it is even better than the Visconti 'Ossessione so you musn't miss this one !

The Postman's first ring.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 2 September 2017]

Being just one of a handful of people to attend the screening,I found myself utterly gripped a few months ago by Ivo van Hove's National Theatre Live adaptation of Obsession/The Postman Always Rings Twice (2017-also reviewed.) Looking round for movies to watch for a poll on the best films of 1939,I found a review by fellow IMDber dbdumonteil about the first ever filmed adaptation of James M. Cain novel,which led to me excitingly waiting for the postman to arrive.

View on the film:

Appearing out of a mirage in the pub, Fernand Gravey gives a magnificent performance as drifting Noir loner Maurice. Stinking of booze,fags and cards,Gravey gives Maurice a shifty presence,which never eases as Maurice's rigid back is constantly up against the wall from the doubting Nick and the ruthlessly seductive Cora.

Caught between two deadly lovers, Michel Simon gives a performance bursting with warmth as Nick,who greets Maurice with open arms,that Simon decays into doubt,as all of Nick's kindness gets thrown in his face.

Made just before she became a socialite of the Occupation, Corinne Luchaire, (whose dad was Nazi-backing politician Jean Luchaire,whose family enjoyed the good life with the Nazis,until the liberation led to Jean being killed by firing squad,and Corinne being banned from acting,and dying penniless of tuberculosis at 28) gives a magnetic performance as Femme Fatale Cora,with lingering close-ups zoning in on the viper glances Luchaire gives Cora playing all the cards close to her chest.

While Luchaire enjoyed the high life,this became director Pierre Chenal last film in France until 1946,with the Jewish Chenal fleeing France with his wife Florence Marly (who along with starring in Film Noir classics Krakatit and The Damned (1948 & 1947-also reviewed) co-stars here) for Argentine.

Delivering the first adaptation of Cain's novel,Chenal & cinematographer Christian Matras strike a winning number with a cracking evil under the sun Film Noir atmosphere,reflecting the life of Maurice,everything is covered in a dust which gives the Marino's entanglement with Maurice a grubby appearance.

Keeping Maurice as an outside, Chenal mischievously curses Maurice with ladders and black cats that are joined by ultra-stylised first person shots cornering him,and never giving Maurice the chance to fully embrace Cora.

Working from a translation of Cain's novel by Sabine Berritz,the screenplay by Charles Spaak and Henri Torrès strike the trio with jagged dialogue,that in moments of calm barely hides the viper poison about to be unleashed. Handing Nick's trust to Maurice,the writers seep Cora and Maurice's harsh pessimism out into the open of the bitter end,as the postman rings twice for the first time.

First screen version of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" is OK but flawed

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 10 April 2022]

Corinne Luchaire is ideally cast as the femme fatale that you would go to hell for (my jaw dropped the first time she entered the frame), and Pierre Chenal's direction has some inspired bits (like the echo of "Cora!" after her husband has been hit over the head). But Fernand Gravey is miscast (I just couldn't buy that a woman like Luchaire, or Florence Marly later, would fall head over heels for him at first glance), and the narrative is too jumpy: important things, like Frank and Cora actually falling in love or them deciding and planning their second murder attempt, seem to happen off-screen. Ultimately, it is a rather heatless movie about a heated love affair. ** out of 4.