Manon

As a demonstration of human nature, we're afraid that this film Henri-Georges Clouzot has helped adapt and has directed fails to convey why a man would throw himself at the feet of an obviously no-good dame.

The flashback construction is ungainly and awkward and veers off into strange third act that sends his outlaws into the desert like the lost tribe of doomed lovers. But the dive into the urban underworld is pure noir...

Even by 1949's standards, this odd-duck in the director's filmography may be a tempestuous love affair, but one marked savagely by the uncompromising fluctuations of power which crush survivors 'neath the weight of lofty ideals.

Clouzot's craftsmanship and style made an impression at the Venice Festival and it won Best Film in 1949.