Julien Duvivier in the Thirties

Julien Duvivier was once a giant of French cinema but his reputation declined late in his career. This boxed set of four standout films that Duvivier made with actor Harry Baur shows he was a versatile filmmaker who found innovative and expressive ways to tell moving and entertaining stories. David Golder (1930)—a drama about a ruthless banker with a spoiled family—is Duvivier's debut sound film, and he creatively uses the new cinematic dimension right from the opening scenes. Poil de Carotte (1932), which translates to “Carrot Top,” mixes comedy and tragedy to tell the story of a sweet, imaginative young boy whose generous spirit is constantly smothered by a neglectful family. La Tete d'un Homme (1933) stars Baur as Georges Simenon's Inspector Maigret in an inventively-directed mystery that is part police procedural and part battle of wits with an arrogant young killer. Finally, Un Carnet de Bal (1937), the tale of a recently widowed heiress who tracks down the young men who courted her 20 years ago at her first society ball, is one of the director's most beloved films, serving up a melancholy meditation on memory, loss, and disappointment (along with Baur, it also features French greats Fernandel, Louis Jouvet, and Raimu). These black-and-white films show some signs of wear and damage, but all have been well-mastered from archival sources. Part of the Criterion Collection's extra-less Eclipse line, this set is recommended. (S. Axmaker)