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| Gervaise | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | René Clément |
| Screenplay by | Jean Aurenche Pierre Bost |
| Based on | L'Assommoir byÉmile Zola |
| Produced by | Agnès Delahaie |
| Starring | Maria Schell François Périer Jany Holt |
| Cinematography | Robert Juillard |
| Edited by | Henri Rust |
| Music by | Georges Auric |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production companies | Agnes Delahaie Productions Silver Film Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale Cinématographique |
| Distributed by | Les Films Corona |
Release date |
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Running time | 117 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Gervaise (French pronunciation:[ʒɛʁ.vɛz]) is a 1956 Frenchhistorical drama film directed byRené Clément based on the 1877 novelL'Assommoir byÉmile Zola. It depicts a working-class woman in the mid-nineteenth century (played byMaria Schell) trying to cope with the descent of her husband (played byFrançois Périer) intoalcoholism.
The film was nominated for theBest Foreign Language Film at the29th Academy Awards.[1] Schell won theVolpi Cup for Best Actress at the 1956Venice Film Festival for her performance; Périer won the 1957 BAFTA Best Actor for his performance; and the film itself won the 1957 BAFTA Best Film award.
Paris, from 1852 onward. The story follows the struggles of Gervaise, a forsaken washerwoman left alone with her young sons Étienne and Claude by her lover Lantier. She marries Coupeau, a skilled roofer whose life takes a downward spiral due to an accident, leading to idleness, alcoholism, and illness. Together, they have a daughter named Nana. Despite Gervaise's courage and the support of her friend, the blacksmith Goujet, she finds herself unable to prevent Coupeau's decline, as he destroys the laundry business that was her livelihood. Virginie, driven by old grudges and the social challenges of the time, adds to Gervaise's troubles, pushing her further into alcoholism. Meanwhile, their daughter Nana is left to fend for herself on the unforgiving streets of Paris.
Gervaise has an approval rating of 80% onreview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, based on 5 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10.[2]