To understand this film, you have to frame it within the perspective of French politics in the late 1930's. Polarisation of both left and right with little merit in either direction. Here, Mollenard represents the left; corrupt, impolite and insouciant. His wife the right; prim, polite and principled. Mollenard has a loyal crew who stand by him through thick and thin. His wife, who loved him once, now only values his absence and the accompanying status of his position as a Commander. His corruption is obvious, but he runs rings around his accusers, who are forced to hail him a hero when his corruption leads to a terminal fire on board his ship. Mollenard is no hero, but his stalwart crew act appropriately under the circumstances and arrive back exulted in their home port only for Mollenard to repulse attempts at pompous ceremonial conformity in favour of more uncouth antics. The loss of his ship forces Mollenard to rejoin his wife for an extended period and her hatred of him only increases. Unexpectedly Mollenard becomes gravely ill and facing his end in the most repugnant situation he can imagine, cannot even manage to take his own life. Finally his loyal crew are able to take him back to sea, where Mollenard dies amid the only peace he knows.
It is well played, and it is nicely shot, but the few moments of comedy do little to deflect the endless vitriol, and while this story may have been laudable at the time, it now weighs very heavily upon the overall narrative and it's merit is more historical than entertainment.
It is well played, and it is nicely shot, but the few moments of comedy do little to deflect the endless vitriol, and while this story may have been laudable at the time, it now weighs very heavily upon the overall narrative and it's merit is more historical than entertainment.