HÔTEL DU NORD
By Marcel Carné
1938 - France - 95 min
In French with English subtitles.
On the banks of the Canal St. Martin in Paris, the Hotel du Nord welcomes families, couples, travelers, prostitutes and many others. The multiple comings and goings make the Hotel a special place where the lives of its occupants intertwine and influence the course of each one’s destiny. This film focuses on the story of Renée and Pierre, a depressed young couple who are lost in the dullness of their life.
This adaptation of Eugene Dabit’s novel L’Hôtel du Nord is considered a great depiction of the French interwar years, featuring well-known actors and actresses of the time, such as Arletty, playing a strong and confident prostitute, and Louis Jouvet who was featured in numerous other Marcel Carné movies. While the film is considered a drama, it still contains hints of humor due to its exceptional dialogue. Some of the lines from Hôtel du Nord have become shining references in the French cinematic world. Still young when the film was shot, Marcel Carné was already acclaimed by most critics for his two masterpieces of 1938: Hôtel du Nord and Port of Shadows.
This screening is part of the film series Paris, a Hundred Villages.
Online registration is required for this screening.
This screening by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States is made possible through the generous support from TV5 Monde.