The fact that Benny Blanco (from the Bronx) disappeared for most of the second half of Carlito's Way made his reappearance in the final scene a lot more effective.
Where as Lucien in Le Quai des brumes was a much more predictable character due declaring exactly what he was going to do a few minutes before the end of the film.
Prog.
Fair statment, but its still a great film.
shareI think that's the difference between suspense (le QDB) and surprise (CW). Carlito's Way was cool, and Benny getting his revenge was a memorable moment, but Quai des brumes is a different kind of film. You knew this was probably going to happen to Jean, it was just a matter of waiting, which added suspense to the film.
shareTwo things.
*SPOILERS*
1. I didn’t find Blanco’s reappearance to be a very effective scene at all, mostly because of the very reason you did find it effective. As you said, his character essentially disappears for a great deal of time before showing up for one second to wrap up the film. It’s a surprise, yes, but that’s mostly because such an underdeveloped background character was chosen to be the killer. To me, it felt like the writer took an easy way out and threw on an ending that went for an emotional sucker punch. But it’s just that: easy, which, to me, makes it very hard to swallow. Now, on the flipside, since the film is presented from Carlito’s perspective, it makes sense that Blanco’s character is not developed and disappears for such a long time, because Carlito simply does not pay him any attention. So yes, it is a very surprising way to end the film, but it also feels like it makes Carlito’s death something of a reverse deus ex machina, if you will, instead of the tragedy it should have felt like. Being that his character is so forgettable and underdeveloped, it makes Blanco’s actions seem a tad melodramatic and over-the-top, no?
2. As with most (all?) Poetic Realist films, Port of Shadows deals heavily with themes of fatalism. Gabin’s character is a doomed one from the start, and his death is not intended to be a surprise. Where Carlito’s Way went for a shock/twist approach, Port of Shadows went for a conventional build-up and climax. Gabin’s fate continues mounting and mounting and mounting throughout the film until the act is finally committed. Of course, the character everyone expects to be his killer is his killer, which causes the scene to be very predictable, and thus, many people find it to be ineffective. And they’re not wrong. It’s an extremely predictable ending. But not only was it meant to be, but there’s really no other way to end Port of Shadows (or any Poetic Realist film, really) without destroying the tone of fatalism that Carne worked so hard to establish.
The two demises are set up and approached so differently that debating which is better is really rather futile and misled.
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Can you forgive the boy who shot you in the head?
If I'm not completely mistaken, the very first scene in Carlio's Way shows when he gets shot (though you don't see who does it), after which the actual story starts, which shows us the events leading up to those shots. So I'd say that film works at least as heavy with themes of fatalism point of view as Port of Shadows - you can't escape who you are et.c.
These themes are - in a certain sense at least - in my opinion strengthened by the very fact that Blanco is such a minor character. Carlito fights for his life and actually manages to overcome all major obstacles in his way - only to be plugged by a nobody neither he or we saw coming. In other words, fate will always catch up with you - just as poor Jean Gabin finds out in the end of Port of Shadows.
That said, they are very different films indeed in most other aspects.
Agreed. Both are great movies (and certainly kins, when I saw Carlito's Way, I immediately thought of Le quai des brumes, too), but I like fatalism better. Jean Gabin was doomed to die in every movie in this era, the only question is "how". His characters are outside the society, and their solitude alone wouldn't kill them. It's always the woman who makes the Gabin character defenseless, and he either gets killed or gets betrayed and commits suicide.
share