''The Idiot'' (French: ''L'idiot'') is a 1946 French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Georges Lampin Georges Lampin (; 14 October 1901 – 8 May 1979) was a French actor and film director. He directed twelve films between 1946 and 1963. Selected filmography Director * ''The Idiot'' (1946) * '' Eternal Conflict'' (1948) * '' Return to Lif ...

and starring

Edwige Feuillère Edwige Feuillère (born Edwige Louise Caroline Cunatti; 29 October 1907 – 13 November 1998) was a French stage and film actress. Biography She was born Edwige Louise Caroline Cunatti to an Italian architect father and an Alsace-born moth ...

Lucien Coëdel Lucien Coëdel (1899–1947) was a French film actor. He appeared in the title role in the historical film '' Roger la Honte'' and its sequel '' The Revenge of Roger''.Goble p.311 Coëdel made his screen debut in an uncredited role in Abel Gance's ...

and

Jean Debucourt Jean Debucourt (19 January 1894 – 22 March 1958) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1920 and 1958. Selected filmography * '' The Little Thing'' (1923) * ''Jean Chouan'' (1926) * ''Madame Récamier'' ...

.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.167 It is an adaptation of

Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...

's novel ''

The Idiot ''The Idiot'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–1869. The titl ...

''. The film's sets were designed by

Léon Barsacq Léon Barsacq (18 October 1906 – 23 December 1969) was a Russian-born and naturalized French production designer, art director and set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film '' The ...

, credited as the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

. It was shot at the Epinay and

Neuilly Studios Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the Bois de Boulogne, the area is composed of ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Cast

as Nastasia Filipovna *

as Rogogine *

as Totsky * Sylvie as Madame Ivolguine *

Gérard Philipe Gérard Philipe () (born Gérard Albert Philip, 4 December 1922 – 25 November 1959) was a prominent French actor who appeared in 32 films between 1944 and 1959. He came to prominence during the later period of the poetic realism movement o ...

as Le prince Mychkine * Nathalie Nattier as Aglaé Epantchine *

Jane Marken Jane Marken (born Jeanne Berthe Adolphine Crabbe, sometimes credited as Jeanne Marken; 13 January 1895 in Paris – 1 December 1976 in Paris) was a French actress. She was the first wife of the actor Jules Berry. Marken began her film career u ...

as Naria * Maurice Chambreuil as Le général Epantchine * Michel André as Gania Ivolguine * Elisabeth Hardy as Sophie Ivolguine *

Roland Armontel Roland Armontel (21 December 1901 – 15 March 1980) was a French actor. Born Auguste Louis Magnin in Vimoutiers, Orne, France, he died in Paris. Selected filmography * ''Fun in the Barracks'' (1932) - Barchetti * '' Let's Touch Wood'' ( ...

as Louliane Timofeievitch Lebediev l'ivrogne *

Mathilde Casadesus Mathilde Casadesus (1921–1965) was a French film actress.Goble p.95 Biography Born into a family of renowned musicians, she is the daughter of cellist and composer Marius Casadesus and cellist Lucette Laffite. She is the half-sister of Gréco ...

as Adélaïde Epantchine * Janine Viénot as Alexandra Epantchine * Tramel as Ivolguine *

Marguerite Moreno Marguerite Moreno (born Lucie Marie Marguerite Monceau; 15 September 1871, Paris - 14 July 1948, Touzac, Lot) was a French stage and film actress. On 12 September 1900, in England, she married the writer Marcel Schwob, whom she had met in 18 ...

as La générale Elisabeth Prokofievna Epantchine * Danielle Godet * Rodolphe Marcilly *

Maurice Régamey Maurice Régamey (1924–2009) was a Polish-born French actor and film director.Rège p.96 Selected filmography * ''The Idiot'' (1946) * '' Dawn Devils'' (1946) * ''Maya'' (1949) * ''Cartouche, King of Paris'' (1950) * '' Old Boys of Saint-Loup'' ...

* Victor Tcherniavsky *

Charles Vissières Charles Vissières (1880–1960) was a French stage and film actor.Bessy & Chirat p.109 A character actor, he appeared in supporting roles in films from the mid-1930s onwards. Selected filmography * ''Sacred Woods'' (1939) * '' Love Cavalcade'' ( ...

* Georges Zagrebelsky

References

Bibliography

* Dayna Oscherwitz & MaryEllen Higgins. ''The A to Z of French Cinema''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1946 films French historical drama films 1940s historical drama films 1940s French-language films Films directed by Georges Lampin Films based on The Idiot Films set in the 19th century Films set in Russia Films shot at Epinay Studios French black-and-white films 1946 drama films 1940s French films Films scored by Maurice Thiriet Films with screenplays by Charles Spaak {{historic-film-stub