Gervaise [ʒɛʁ.vɛz] is a 1956 French historical drama film directed by René Clément based on the 1877 novel L'Assommoir by Émile Zola. It depicts a working-class woman in the mid-nineteenth century (played by Maria Schell) trying to cope with the descent of her husband (played by François Périer) into alcoholism.

Gervaise
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRené Clément
Screenplay byJean Aurenche
Pierre Bost
Based onL'Assommoir
by Émile Zola
Produced byAgnès Delahaie
StarringMaria Schell
François Périer
Jany Holt
CinematographyRobert Juillard
Edited byHenri Rust
Music byGeorges Auric
Color processBlack and white
Production
companies
Agnes Delahaie Productions
Silver Film
Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique
Distributed byLes Films Corona
Release date
  • 5 September 1956 (1956-09-05)
Running time
117 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

The film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 29th Academy Awards.[1] Schell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 1956 Venice Film Festival for her performance; Périer won the 1957 BAFTA Best Actor for his performance; and the film itself won the 1957 BAFTA Best Film award.

Plot

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Paris, from 1852 onward. The story follows the struggles of Gervaise, a forsaken washerwoman left alone with her young sons Étienne and Claude by her lover Lantier. She marries Coupeau, a skilled roofer whose life takes a downward spiral due to an accident, leading to idleness, alcoholism, and illness. Together, they have a daughter named Nana. Despite Gervaise's courage and the support of her friend, the blacksmith Goujet, she finds herself unable to prevent Coupeau's decline, as he destroys the laundry business that was her livelihood. Virginie, driven by old grudges and the social challenges of the time, adds to Gervaise's troubles, pushing her further into alcoholism. Meanwhile, their daughter Nana is left to fend for herself on the unforgiving streets of Paris.

Cast

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Reception

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Gervaise has an approval rating of 80% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-24.
  2. ^ "Gervaise". Rotten Tomatoes.
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