Panique
Criterion Collection Edition #955
Proud, eccentric, and antisocial, Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon) has always kept to himself. But after a woman turns up dead in the Paris suburb where he lives, he feels drawn to a pretty young newcomer to town (Viviane Romance), discovers that his neighbors are only too ready to suspect the worst of him, and is framed for the murder. Based on a novel by Georges Simenon, Julien Duvivier’s first film after his return to France from Hollywood finds the acclaimed poetic realist applying his consummate craft to darker, moodier ends. Propelled by its two deeply nuanced lead performances, the tensely noirish PANIQUE exposes the dangers of the knives-out mob mentality, delivering as well a pointed allegory for the behavior of Duvivier’s countrymen during the war.
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Panique
Directed by Julien Duvivier • 1946 • France
Starring Michel Simon, Viviane Romance, Paul BernardProud, eccentric, and antisocial, Monsieur Hire (Michel Simon) has always kept to himself. But after a woman turns up dead in the Paris suburb where he lives, he feels drawn to a pretty young newcome...
Extras
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Ari Aster on PANIQUE
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The Art of Subtitling
In this short documentary, created in 2018, Bruce Goldstein, director of repertory programming at New York’s Film Forum and founder of PANIQUE distributor Rialto Pictures, talks about the history of subtitles in the movies, gives tips on good subtitling practices, and pays tribute to veteran tran...
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Pierre Simenon on PANIQUE
Julien Duvivier’s PANIQUE is based on the book “Les Fiançailles de M. Hire” by novelist Georges Simenon. The following interview with Pierre Simenon, author and son of Georges, was recorded in New York in August 2018.
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Guillemette Odicino and Eric Libiot on PANIQUE
This 2015 discussion between critics Guillemette Odicino and Eric Libiot, recorded for the French home-video release of PANIQUE, explores the film’s production history, Julien Duvivier’s style as a director and work in the noir genre, and the personalities of lead actors Michel Simon and Viviane ...
