简介：HerrMarcelL'Herbier,anexcellentFrenchdirectorofthesilentera,madehismostimportantworksduringthe20'softhelastcentury.Theseareastoundingsilentoeuvresinwhichthemodern,fashionableartistictendenciesthatwereinvogueinthoseearlydaysaremuchinevidence.Theseavant-gardeworkshaveremarkableart-decósettingsandarehighlyappreciatednowadaysbysilentconnoisseursfortheirmodernityandHerrL'Herbierverypersonalstyle. "LeDiableAuCoeur"(1928)is,insomeways,acompletelydifferentfilmincomparisonwiththoseavant-gardeand"modern"filmsmentionedbefore;thistimeHerrL'HerbierforgetsthosefashionableexperimentaltendenciesforthesakeofamostconventionalandrealisticsettingofalittleFrenchfishingtown. Thebeautifulmaritimebackgroundandthelittleseasidevillagewherethemaincharacterslive,conditionthelifeandtroublesofourheroine,FrauLudivineBucaille(BettyBalfour).Sheisamadcapgirlwholeadsagangofboyswhoplaycontinualchildishpranksinthesmallvillage.Sheliveswithherfatherandhertwobrothers(whoareterrorslikeherself).ShewillmaintainatroubledloverelationshipwithDelphin(HerrJaqueCatelain)until,actingontheadviceofherfatherwhoislookingoutforhisowninterests,shegetsengagedtoGastonLauderin(HerrLeoDaCosta)anoldsatyrandownerofthetowntavern. ThisHerrVoncansayalsothat"LeDiableAuCoeur"tellsaconventionallovestorythatfromtimetotimeseemsmonotonousandgivestothisGermancountafeelingof"déjàvu"butthankstoHerrL'Herbier'sskillfulartisticintentionsandtheemphasishegivestovillagelife(verycredibleatmospherewithastrongregionalflavour)andanexcellentgalleryofsupportingcharacters,thefamiliarlovestoryfloatsalongonthewatersofrealism. Thebeautifulscenerywasphotographedbyanexcellenttrio,HerrLucienBellavoine,HerrrJeanLetortundHerrLouisLeBertre,whocapturethepropermaritimebackgroundfromthebeautifulharbourtothedecadenttavern.Theartdirectionaddsimmeasurablytothefilm'seffectiveness. "LeDiableAuCoeur"isaremarkablefilm,lessavant-garde,morehumanisticthanl'Herbier'sotherworksbutjustasmemorable(asacuriosity,thisfilmwasproducedtogetherwithUFAandGaumont-British).Itdepictsthegreed,ambitionandthehumanmiseriesofmen,primalhumanfeelingsthatcanfoundinthemostavant-gardeofsettingsorinthelifeofasmalltownbythesea. Andnow,ifyou'llallowme,ImusttemporarilytakemyleavebecausethisGermanCounthasotherfishtofry.…