Marius (1931)

(On Cable TV, November 2021) Unusually enough, it’s Marius’ remake Fanny that makes the original adaptation of Marcel Pagnol’s play both interesting and disappointing. As a romance set on Marseilles’ waterfront, Marius still carries some appeal, at least for French speakers: the very distinctive accent and slow-paced lifestyle espoused by the characters are still rather charming. Much of the story is set in a small bar overlooking the Mediterranean, and as the characters focus on their small-scale romantic troubles, it makes for an immersive plunge into a quasi-mythical way of living. Alexander Korda became far better-known as a producer, but his directing here is pretty good for the time. Alas, those who have seen Fanny will be disappointed by its progenitor: Not only is Maurice Chevalier missing, but so is the last and more interesting half of the story told more efficiently in the remake. (The explanation for this is that the remake adapts two linked stories, whereas the original only adapts the first.)  Much of the dramatic interest of the remake is replaced by a far more linear and simplistic love story — Marius is not bad, but not quite to the level set by the remake. Still, it’s not a bad watch nor a bad listen if you’re able to distinguish the melodic accent from more traditional French.