A French fugitive arrives in Genoa, where he becomes entangled with an Italian woman and her daughter.A French fugitive arrives in Genoa, where he becomes entangled with an Italian woman and her daughter.A French fugitive arrives in Genoa, where he becomes entangled with an Italian woman and her daughter.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 1 nomination
Agnese Dubbini
- La patronne de l'auberge
- (uncredited)
- …
Claudio Ermelli
- Le curé
- (uncredited)
- …
Fulvia Fulvi
- Laura, la petite voisine
- (uncredited)
- …
Giuseppe Garello
- Il custode
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaVera Talchi's debut.
- Quotes
Pierre Arrignon: [to a Monk asking for a donation] I'm broke.
Monk: As long as there is good...
Pierre Arrignon: But there isn't any.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Le ciné-club de Radio-Canada: Film présenté: Au-delà des grilles (1956)
Featured review
The burden of being human.
Considering it won an honorary Oscar in 1949(before the category of Best Foreign Flm became a competitive affair) and garnered awards for both director René Clément and actress Isa Miranda at Cannes, the subsequent neglect of this film is indeed mystifying.
Its critical success was not reflected in box office returns however, perhaps because the public did not want to be reminded of post-war austerity.
I have revisited this film on a few occasions and it never fails to move me.
Gabin's career seemed to be in free-fall at this time before Jacques Becker came to his rescue with 'Touchez-pas au Grisbi'. His air of world-weariness, no doubt influenced by his war service, suits the role perfectly. Gabin was certainly no stranger to characters pursued by implacable Fate but this is his final appearance in such a role.
The performances that haunt however are those of Isa Miranda and fifteen year old Vera Talchi as mother and daughter. Miranda would never again to my knowledge be gifted such a part and she is absolutely wondrous. Her chemistry with Gabin is palpable. Talchi was a great find but her career thereafter did not alas amount to much apart from playing the love interest in the first of the Don Camillo series. What a pity.
This and his films 'Battle of the Rails', 'Forbidden Games' and 'Gervaise' guarantee Clément a place in the Pantheon of great directors. Roman Vlad has written a powerful score and the images by Louis Page of war-torn Genoa add to the film's neo-realist feel.
Visconti maintained that the most important thing on screen is to portray the burden of being human. Clément's film certainly fulfils that criterion in no uncertain terms.
Its critical success was not reflected in box office returns however, perhaps because the public did not want to be reminded of post-war austerity.
I have revisited this film on a few occasions and it never fails to move me.
Gabin's career seemed to be in free-fall at this time before Jacques Becker came to his rescue with 'Touchez-pas au Grisbi'. His air of world-weariness, no doubt influenced by his war service, suits the role perfectly. Gabin was certainly no stranger to characters pursued by implacable Fate but this is his final appearance in such a role.
The performances that haunt however are those of Isa Miranda and fifteen year old Vera Talchi as mother and daughter. Miranda would never again to my knowledge be gifted such a part and she is absolutely wondrous. Her chemistry with Gabin is palpable. Talchi was a great find but her career thereafter did not alas amount to much apart from playing the love interest in the first of the Don Camillo series. What a pity.
This and his films 'Battle of the Rails', 'Forbidden Games' and 'Gervaise' guarantee Clément a place in the Pantheon of great directors. Roman Vlad has written a powerful score and the images by Louis Page of war-torn Genoa add to the film's neo-realist feel.
Visconti maintained that the most important thing on screen is to portray the burden of being human. Clément's film certainly fulfils that criterion in no uncertain terms.
- brogmiller
- Jan 1, 2020
- Permalink
- How long is The Walls of Malapaga?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Flesh is Weak
- Filming locations
- Genoa, Liguria, Italy(Exterior)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Walls of Malapaga (1949) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer