Maria Schell plays the titular character in this film adaptation of Emile Zola's novel L'Assomoir. This is like the saddest movie ever. I seriously wept for twenty minutes after it finished, and every time I think of it I start to tear up again. Schell plays a poor washerwoman with little luck in men. Her first man, who never married her, leaves her with two young boys for another woman. Her next man, her first husband (played by Francois Perier), becomes a slave to wine, chronically unemployed and defying his wife and family at every turn for another drink. Sure, this is your typical suffering woman narrative, but, Hell, women have suffered throughout history, and this is a downright powerful story. The characterizations are very complex, and every actor in the film is absolutely perfect. L'Assomoir came in the middle of a cycle of twenty novels. Gervaise's daughter, Nana, was the focus of a later novel in the series (Jean Renoir adapted that novel, called Nana, in 1926).

Acclaimed film from Emile Zola's "L'Assomoir": typical of French art-house cinema, it's meticulously-detailed, technically proficient and splendidly acted – however, the main plot of a crippled woman whose ambitions to open her own laundry business are hampered by a complex love life isn't exactly thrilling. Still, one can certainly understand the multitude of international prizes the film won or was nominated for at the time of its release.In fact, Gervaise (German actress Maria Schell in a luminous performance) is involved throughout with a philandering ne'er-do-well (who fathered her two elder children), her husband – splendidly portrayed by Francois Perier – who loses his job after falling off a roof and subsequently takes to drink (with whom she has another kid) and a young political activist (who gets thrown into jail)! The woman has a similarly ambivalent relationship with her husband's family and the neighbors in the poor quarter where she lives – especially the sister (played by a reptilian Suzy Delair) of the woman with whom her first lover eloped. They have a big fight in the washing centre of town (which even involves some surprising split-second nudity) but, when they meet again, both are willing to bury the hatchet (Delair having married the local police constable)...that is, until the lover himself reappears! Ironically, Perier and his rival become friends (they even look alike!) and the former eventually contrives to have the latter lodge with them!! Ultimately, though, Perier's drinking problem escalates to the point where he becomes an embarrassment to his wife (admirably, the director does not shy away from showing his vomit-soaked pillow at one point!) and, in a fit of rage, destroys her shop; this harrowing sequence culminates in him being taken away by hospital attendants bruised and raving (in fact, he dies shortly afterwards). Equally depressing, however, is the ending – which finds Schell destitute (having sold the shop to Delair, now in cahoots with her former lover) and herself a frequent customer of the local tavern!; no longer able to care for her youngest daughter, the latter is forced to look out for herself – which she does with naïve optimism.I have two more titles by the underrated Clement in my unwatched VHS/DVD pile – JOY OF LIVING (1960) and IS Paris BURNING? (1965) – as well as another highly regarded French film starring Maria Schell – Alexandre Astruc's UNE VIE (1958; though available only in its original language)...

The climactic scene of this movie is comparable to the straitjacket scene in Blake Edwards' "Days of Wine and Roses" in that after viewing these films back to back one might be tempted to cut down one's beer consumption for that day....the difference being Jack Lemmon suffers alone, whereas Francois Perier brings his wife's fragile world crashing down with him....it would be hard to judge which scenario is more devastating. Both men give towering performances..."Gervaise" tops "Wine" in its mise en scene, an unequalled view of late 19th century French provincial squalor. The production design here is beyond praise...I was surprised to find myself somewhat shocked at the domestic arrangements that Maria Schell's character endured, even at this permissive date...Zola's portrayal of domestic scandal does not date....some "arrangements" are just a bad idea, no matter what century you live in.

This as far as I know is the only film version of a very famous story by a French Novelist called Emile Zola. It is "L'Assommoir" and is the story of how drink and alcohol can ruin lives and kill. The film is extremely well acted but seems a bit "short" compared to the book which has far more lurid details concerning the downfall of each of the characters. The story takes place behind the Gare du Nord in the Northern Sector of Paris in what is called today the "Quartier de la Goutte d'Or". Unfortunately that area today bears absolutely no resemblance to that portrayed either in the book or the film and is extremely dangerous and violent - any visit of it is strongly advised against. Anyway the story is very moving but be warned the outcome is not a happy one. One other thing, the book is one of a series written by Zola about a family called "Les Rougon-Macquart". The series also includes the book "Germinal" which has several times been made as a film. But of all the films of Zola's books I have see, L'Assommoir (Gervaise ) is my favourite !