Category: Directed by René Clément

  • Keep Your Left Up (1936, René Clément)

    Keep Your Left Up is a genial little short set in a small French country town. The arrival of the postman sets off the short, which eventually has local do-nothing Jacques Tati in the ring against boxer Louis Robur. The charm comes mostly from the setting, Clément’s excellent composition and Jean Yatove’s oddly mismatched score.…

  • The Deadly Trap (1971, René Clément)

    It would be nice to have one positive thing to say about The Deadly Trap. Clements’s direction is so odd, Paris doesn’t even look good. Clements barely shows it; he tries hard to stylize–extreme close-ups on random objects, no establishing shots. Actually, wait, Andréas Winding’s photography isn’t bad. It’s the only competent technical effort present.…