简介：dbdumonteilwrote: ..notinanoctopus'sgarden,butinahugecavebeneaththewaves. HenriCalefwasanunderrateddirector:after"Jericho"and"LesChouans",heachievedahattrickwith"LaMaisonSousLaMer".AllofthesemoviesdeservetobewatchedbypeopleinterestedintheoldiesoftheFrenchcinema,providedthattheyarenotNewWavedie-hardsofcourse. BasedonaPaulVialarnovel,themoviedepictstheironminers'toughlife(theydonotevenhaveshowers).Thefirsttenminutesisalmostdocumentary:silentscenesshowtheminersatwork,thentheyreturnhomeortothecaféwheretheytalksolidarity("we'vegottohelpourfellowman'swidow,thebosseswanttothrowheroutofherhouse"),womenortradeunionism. FlorehasmarriedLucien,aminor.Heisaprettygoodman,abitindolentmainlyinbed.Thetickingofanalarmclockcomesbackseveraltimes,insistent,andFlorefeelsthattimeispassingherby.She'sagoodhousewife:GinetteLeclerchadbeguntobesickandtiredofherpartsofbitchesandshehadalreadyplayedacastagainsttyperolein"NuitSansFin"(1946).In"LaMaisonSousLaMer"sheusedasweetwistfulvoice,andhereyeswerelongingtofindtrueromanticlove.WhenConstant,anewcomertothevillage,takesherbeneaththesea,toacavehecalls"hishouse",it'sloveatfirstsight.Floreisnotabadwoman,shedoesnotwanttohurtherhusband,butshecan'thelpit.LucienandConstantbecomefriendstoo,andthereisawonderfulscenewhentheytalkaboutthewomanoftheirdreamswithoutknowingtheyhavethesamepersoninmind. ClaudeRenoir'sblackandwhitecinematographyisalsoanasset.Thecable-cars,underanominousskyandoveraseasodarkwehardlyseeit,arefilmedinawaythatgivesgoose-flesh(onethinksofJacquesTourneur'sscenesonthederricksin"nightfall"(1956)).ThefinalscenewhenthehorizonseemstogoupinsmokeisoneoftheseRenoir'stoursDeforce. YesHenriCalefisdefinitelyadirectorwhoseworksshouldberediscovered.…