World-wide Wednesday: Pépé le Moko Movie Review

Release Date: January 1937

Run Time: 1 hr 30 min

7/10 Stars

                                   

In 1937, the film Pépé le Moko was released in France, inspiring American remakes such as Algiers and Casablanca. The film quickly became popular with the help of a compelling actor named Jean Gabin portraying the main character, Pepe. In the streets of Casbah, Pépé struggled with his inner desire to rule the Casbah and his nostalgia for Paris. The set for Casbah was built by hand and showed narrow winding alleys as well as the diverse group of criminals that retreated within its maze-like structure. The director of the movie, Julien Divivier, encapsulated the tight spaces with class difference, a loyal network of houses and people, and Pépé’s longing for his old sense of Parisian wealth in several scenes within the elaborate set of Casbah. 

Pépé looks out over the maze of Casbah (Credit)

Within different mise-en-scène, Divivier used frame composition and differing angles to show the contrast between the misfits of Casbah and the high class outside of it, representing the class differences and overcrowding of Casbah. In the introduction shots of Casbah, the inspectors constituted Casbah as a maze that Pépé has escaped to, the shot moves in toward the figure of Casbah on the map, then a wide view of Casbah itself. The shots switch closer and closer from a wide view to panning shots of the narrow streets seen from above, down to eye-level seeing the dirt, grime, and people moving around it to show the normalcy of the uncleanliness. These shots draw the audience in to the setting of Casbah, showing how open it seems from afar but in reality is quite compact. These tight spaces are demonstrated further in scenes where the whole frame is taken up by buildings. When Pépé is moving through Casbah with the Algerian inspector, the shots that follow them are framed in a way that makes everything seem tight and small, like the top of the frame never shows the sky or having a ceiling hang close over the heads of the two men. Connected with Pépé’s own inner struggle, the framing shows no escape from Casbah contrasted with the rich being able to access the open air. When the Algerian inspector encountered Gaby, the love interest and call girl, she was dining in a restaurant with a spectacular view of Algeria. With high ceilings and a feel of breezy openness, there was a clear contrast to the enclosed darkness of the streets within Casbah. The contrast between the working class and high class is connected through Pépé longing for the open air as he remembered Paris. Even though Gaby had access to the open air, as a call girl she was trapped in other ways, relying on the wealth of men. Both Gaby and Pépé were trapped and longed for escape, which they found in each other but are ultimately unable to fulfill due to outside forces.

Pépé and Gaby meeting at a lovely open-air cafe in Algeria (Credit)

Pépé’s downfall is caused by his longing for escape from navigating Casbah to his old upscale lifestyle in Paris which he is reminded of through Gaby. In the mise-en-scène where Pépé first encountered her, there was a clear focus of his attention through close up shots of Gaby’s jewels indicating her wealth and her light skin formed the assumption that she belonged to a higher class. Pépé was drawn into her world even though she herself was not that compelling of a love interest. Pépé was mostly interested in escaping Casbah with her and being involved again in the Parisian lifestyle. In the scene where Pépé and Gaby met again in the streets of Casbah, she was like a beacon in the tight corridors, slightly hidden behind a pillar before Pépé rushed excitedly towards her. Even though their half hidden shots suggested a timid love connection, their meeting halfway confirmed they are bonded through their longing for escape. This pattern of chase between Pépé and Gaby continued up until the end as he learned she is leaving Algeria and rushed after her. He was left behind to be arrested, having been unable to recapture his sense of French refinement and loses Gaby. 

The boat leaving Casbah with Gaby on it (Credit)

Pépé watches in despair as the boat leaves (Credit)

Even though Casbah was full of people hiding from the law, their sense of connection was evident through raids, and showed how the lower class defies authority, yet still answered to figures like Pépé from a sense of imperialism. In a mise-en-scène where a police raid threatened the Casbah, the people took advantage of the maze of houses to hide and escape from the danger of the law. Every type of person is warned, from the prostitutes that retreated inside from their perches in doorways, clearing a gambling bar, and the homeless that sleep in doorways were knocking on doors to announce the movements of the group of police. The network of houses and overall response as the shots panned smoothly through the community showed the connectivity in helping others escape, as the police and inspector were redirected. Even though the area was notorious for crime, there was loyalty through misdeeds. As Pinkerton noted in his historical article regarding the movie, “Pépé le Moko is a product of a colonial culture that expresses pride of possession through touristic rubbernecking” (Pinkerton). So through this exotic representation of community within Casbah, there was a longing for the connectedness of a diverse and international community that is nonetheless controlled by France. There were not explicit historical references, however one could read into the suggestions of the film. Pépé was a white Frenchman who ruled the Casbah in Algeria. Despite his criminal nature, he represented the imperial fantasy of cultures accepting the ruling rights of white males. 

Justice in crime-riddled Casbah (Credit)

Casbah was the centralized setting of a conflict for the residents within and is used by Pépé for his own purposes of escaping the law yet longing for true freedom. The tight spaces within the Casbah emphasized Pépé’s need for escape even though he was held in such high regard by the community within Casbah. Their network and protectiveness of each other from the law displayed a bonded community just trying to survive the everyday. A classic film with wonderful camera work and acting, this would be a great watch for any movie buff. Sparking American remakes in movies and musicals, the story carries well through time by addressing issues of wealth and class. I gave this movie a seven out of ten merely because I personally would have enjoyed a better ending, but I appreciate the build-up of the romance and what it represented for each character.