Jean Benoît-Lévy
2021
La Mort du Cygne
Jean Benoît-Lévy
Yvette Chauviré, Mia Slavenska
As its title indicates, La Mort du Cygne (The Dying Swan) is set in the special world of the ballet. Young dance student Janine Charrat idolizes her teacher-role-model Yvette Chauvire, and will do anything to help Chauvire further herself.
Ballerina
Hélène
Jean Benoît-Lévy
Madeleine Renaud, Jean-Louis Barrault
Helene is based on Helene Wilfur, a novel by Vicki (Grand Hotel) Baum. Madeleine Renaud essays the title role, a young medical student in love with aspiring musician Pierre Regnier (Jean-Lous Barrault). Pierre's father, a noted surgeon, puts pressure on his son to give up music in favor of medicine. Unable to withstand his father's remonstrations, Pierre kills himself, prompting the grieving Madeleine to forget all about romance and dedicate her life to the cause of healing others. Wilfur avoids the usual soap-opera goo by offering realistic performances and credible dialogue (the English-language subtitles were composed by erudite film critic Herman G. Weinberg).
Hélène
La maternelle
Jean Benoît-Lévy, Marie Epstein
Madeleine Renaud, Alice Tissot
When her father files bankruptcy and then dies, Rose's fiancé jilts her; she takes a job as a maid in a Montmartre kindergarten with 150 poor children. Rose gives each child loving attention, and soon she's their favorite. An especially needy child is Marie, a prostitute's daughter. Rose and she bond, and Marie is jealous of all attentions paid Rose, especially those of Dr. Libois, the school's physician. When Rose inadvertently guides the children through the educational experiment of a visiting scholar, and then discloses she has a college degree and is working beneath her station, the principal wants to fire her. Is there any way she can stay? And what will happen to Marie?
Children of Montmartre
La maison
Jean Benoît-Lévy
Andrée Brabant, Jimmy Gaillard
Jean-Pierre is in love with Jeannette, the sister of his friend Paul. Although he is a good student, he has to quit school and work to help out his poor mother. As Paul finds a better job, his parents forbid him to see Jean-Pierre. As Jean-Pierre's hard work is rewarded with a raise, Paul is fired and turns to alcohol. He eventually ends up in the same factory where Jean-Pierre works. His former friend helps him and builds a house for his mother, Jeannette and him.
The House
Itto
Jean Benoît-Lévy, Marie Epstein
Simone Berriau, Moulay Ibrahim
Filmed in French Morocco, Itto's dialogue is spoken primarily in the tribal Chleuh language. The jingoistic story concerns a series of clashes between French occupational forces and a rebellious Chleuh chieftain. Itto (Simone Berriau), chief's daughter, becomes embroiled in a romance with a Moroccan tribesman who has gone over to the French side. It is implied in Itto that it's okay to betray one's own people if it will preserve French colonialism in Africa. To modern viewers, the rampant chauvinism in Itto is a difficult pill to swallow.
Itto
Altitude 3.200
Jean Benoît-Lévy, Marie Epstein
Jean-Louis Barrault, Fabien Loris
"Altitude 3.200" asks the question and provides the premise of what would happen if a group of young people----poor, rich, discontented, bored--- were given an idyllic community in which to live. Call it a colony. Call it a village. Call it one-world. Mainly call it a futile exercise in changing human nature, mores, culture and attitudes at any altitude. For t'ain't no time before clashing personalities, petty jealousy, violence and---that old demon---love create havoc. And isn't much longer before they become re-united in the face of an avalanche that threatens to destroy them. They all return to whence they came, sadder and wiser.
Youth in Revolt
Pasteur
Jean Benoît-Lévy, Jean Epstein
Charles Mosnier, Robert Tourneur
Jean Benoît-Lévy & Jean Epstein's inventive documentary about the life of Louis Pasteur, a French chemist and one of the most important figures of medical microbiology, blends biographical drama with scientific recreations of his experiments, using Pasteur's actual instruments.
Pasteur
