ABSTRACT
Film-making, like many walks of French life during the Occupation, was fraught with difficulties of both a moral and practical nature. Much of the cinematic establishment had headed for the hills in the face of war, which created openings for others, the only problem being that the newcomers' artistic hands were tightly tied by political cords. Le Corbeau was made by one such director, the relatively inexperienced Henri-Georges Clouzot, under the auspices of Continental Films, a production company set up in Paris by Goebbels to turn out lightweight cinematic fare as a diversion for the public. The film historian would argue that Le Corbeau was a notable forerunner of American 'film noir'. Certainly Clouzot has a highly distinctive artistic vision – the kind of powerful identity that makes watching one of his films more like a soak in a scented bath than a quick shower.
