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White Wall Cinema: CASQUE D’OR
JACQUES BECKER’S 4K REMASTER
November 25 @ 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm
Undoubtedly one of the greatest films in all of French cinema — and boasting a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes — Casque d’Or stands as a cornerstone of the work of the great French filmmaker Jacques Becker.
The celebrated wave of American cinema now known as New Hollywood — Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and so many others that reshaped modern filmmaking — was itself inspired by the French New Wave and figures like Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, and Jacques Demy. But where did they find their inspiration? Becker, belonging to the generation before them, was perhaps the director the New Wave revered most deeply. François Truffaut in particular held Becker’s work — and Casque d’Or above all — in the highest regard, and with good reason.
Set during La Belle Époque and loosely based on a true story, Casque d’Or follows Marie (Simone Signoret), a Parisian prostitute and gangster’s moll, who falls in love with Manda (Serge Reggiani), a reformed criminal trying to start anew. Their passion, however, soon draws them into a violent clash with Marie’s former lover and his dangerous underworld syndicate.
A loving recreation of its period, the film combines lyrical beauty with emotional depth and features wonderfully nuanced performances — most notably from Simone Signoret, whose radiant and defiant portrayal of Marie became so iconic that it even graced a French postage stamp. Casque d’Or remains one of cinema’s greatest tragic love stories and a landmark achievement from one of France’s finest directors at the height of his powers.
As François Truffaut wrote:
“Casque d’Or, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, finally proves that by a refined use of a shift in tone, one can surpass parody, look upon a picturesque and bloody past, and resurrect it with tenderness and violence.”
- DOORS: 7pm*
- START TIME: 7.30pm*
- RUN TIME: 98 mins
- LANGUAGE: French w/ English Subtitles
- CERT: 12A (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)
*Please note – doors open at 7.00pm, Please try to allow extra time to get seated prior to the performance start time of 7.30pm. There will usually be no admittance from 20 minutes after the films stated start time. No hot food or alcohol from outside the premises is allowed. All alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises must be purchased from the bar as per the conditions of the venue’s licence
