Jean Gabin the soldier!

Jean Gabin in wartime: his enlistment; his exile in Hollywood; his service in the Free French Naval Forces until the Liberation, serving under his real name: Jean-Alexis Moncorgé.

THE SUBJECT: A portrait of the actor as a soldier, inhabited by a rare sense of duty for nearly three years.

THE METHOD: Through a combination of archive footage, film clips and animated illustrations, Frédéric Pierrot’s voice-over narration evokes the spirit of Gabin (1904–1976) to recount his daily life between 1939 and 1945.

BONUS:  The introductory remarks are original, taking us back to the opening of the last Cannes Film Festival when Laurent Lafitte decided to do an unexpected tribute, stating, “An actor is also a citizen of the world, who can demonstrate commitment and courage. Tonight, I’d like to celebrate Jean Gabin, who went from being a screen hero to a hero, period.” Patrick Jeudy illustrates the transformation using insights from the eponymous book by Patrick Glâtre (2023, Orep Éditions), also the film’s co-author. It is fascinating to hear about Gabin’s exile in America, which also coincided with his love at first sight encounter with Marlène Dietrich. Whilst filming a propaganda film for the Free French Forces in Hollywood (Strange Confession, directed by Julien Duvivier), Gabin went back to France and enlisted. He would never again play the role of a soldier on screen. Jeudy highlights the unwavering (and touching) discretion of Gabin’s demeanor right up until the end of that terrible conflict, from which he emerged aged and grey. Having distinguished himself as a cannoneer and then as a tank commander, he refused to march with his unit of the 2nd Armored Division down the Champs-Élysées on June 18, 1945. His fear? That people would cheer “Gabin,” when “Private Moncorgé” had not fought simply to be part of a parade.

Carlos Gomez