It was 1938. World War Two was getting ready to explode all over Europe. In time, Jean Gabin would be transformed by the conflict. His face would harden, his demeanor would sadden, and he would gain an authoritative command over his scenes. But here in Port of Shadows, we see a Gabin willing to dream, to hope. Gabin plays Jean, an army deserter who stumbles into a seaside town, weary of life. There, he discovers like minded people with their own dark pasts and gloomy dispositions. He finds some small measure of love and happiness in a woman who inhabits that shadowy town. But as with many films of the poetic realism genre, fate has other plans for him. The film is magnificently shot and tragic. As with many French films of the era, it relies heavily on dialogue, not action, to move the plot along. The film savors its dialogue and takes great pleasure in hearing its characters talk. It is leisurely paced to a point where many modern viewers may grow impatient with it. But it deserves watching as much as any other great film from its era. Just don't expect the fog to lift anytime soon...
7/10
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