MONSIEUR VINCENT Movie Review

Monsieur Vincent is the true story of the 17th-century priest who became St. Vincent de Paul. Monsieur Vincent forsakes his worldly possessions and convinces members of the aristocracy to finance charities for the less fortunate. Pierre Fresnay gives a legendary performance in a film that managed to rise to the occasion in every sense. Jean Anouilh wrote the simple and elegant screenplay, and Claude Renoir provided the glowing cinematography. Director Maurice Cloche backed Fresnay with an extraordinary supporting cast, all of them members of the Comédie Française. Monsieur Vincent received a dozen international prizes including a special Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. (Critics everywhere seemed happily startled that the film wasn't just about a good person, but was actually a good film.)

NEXT STOP … Thérèse, The Flowers of St. Francis, The Gospel According to St. Matthew

1947 112m/B FR Pierre Fresnay, Lisa Delamare, Aime Clarimond, Jean Debucourt, Pierre Dux, Gabrielle Dorziat, Jean Carmet, Michel Bouquet; D: Maurice Cloche; W: Jean Anouilh, Jean-Bernard Luc; C: Claude Renoir; M: Jean Jacques Grunenwald. Academy Awards ‘48: Best Foreign Film. VHS INT