Review: ‘Le Jour Se Leve’ is a Bold Pre-Cursor to Citizen Kane
Marcel Carne’s 1939 drama, also known as Daybreak, is innovative and tragic
Le Jour Se Leve opens by telling you exactly what will happen in the film. Before even showing the production company logos, a title card explicitly tells the audience that the film will focus on a murderer, trapped in his room, reflecting on what led him to kill. It’s a bold opening, but is far from the most subversive or innovative moment that Carne offers in his ahead-of-its-time crime drama.
Le Jour Se Leve, also known as Daybreak, is about Francois (Jean Gabin). He is an average man, even if we are introduced to him as a murderer. The first time we see him on screen, he is holding a gun shortly after having shot and killed somebody. The police have come to take him, but he threatens to shoot them too if they advance. They retreat, call back-up and start to wait him out. He can’t stay in his room forever. While waiting, the police question Francois’ neighbours. None of them have a negative thing to say about Francois, calling him ‘the nicest man’ and ‘a good guy’.
Now trapped in his room, completely cornered, Francois begins to reflect on the tragic series of events which led him to where he is now. The flashbacks begin. For the rest of the film, we cut…
