''The Night Heaven Fell'' (''Les bijoutiers du clair de lune'') is an
Eastmancolor
Eastmancolor is a trade name used by Eastman Kodak for a number of related film and processing technologies associated with color motion picture production and referring to George Eastman, founder of Kodak.
Eastmancolor, introduced in 1950, was on ...
1958 French-Italian film directed by
Roger Vadim
Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director and producer, as well as an author, artist and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, su ...
. Vadim had already acquired international fame with his daring debut ''
And God Created Woman'' (
1956). Like its predecessor, ''The Night Heaven Fell'' explored the exuberant sensuality of
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...
, who was Vadim's wife at the time.
Plot
Set in rural
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, Ursula (
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...
), is a young girl who has just left a convent and has moved in with her aunt Florentine and her violent husband, the count Ribera (
José Nieto). Ribera wants to see Lambert (
Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd (born William Millar; 4 July 1931 – 2 June 1977) was a Northern Irish actor. He appeared in some 60 films, most notably as the villainous Messala in '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), a role that earned him the Golden Globe Award for Bes ...
), a young man from the village, dead. Ursula quickly falls in love with Lambert. In a confrontation between the two, Lambert kills Ribera in self-defense.
The reason for the conflict soon becomes clear to Ursula: he was having an affair with her aunt. However, when Florentine (
Alida Valli
Alida Maria Laura, ''Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, s ...
) discovers her lover has no intention of making any commitment to her, she refuses to confirm Lambert's alibi to the police and forces him into becoming a fugitive. Ursula, always impulsive, runs off with him and together they seek a way to get him safely out of the country. While evading the police, the lovers take refuge in the gorge known as
El Chorro
El Chorro ("The Cascade") is a small village located in Málaga (Andalusia) in southern Spain, near the town of Álora. It is one of the most popular rock climbing attractions in Spain as it is located next to ''Desfiladero de los Gaitanes'' ...
.
Lambert contacts Florentine, who agrees to help them complete their escape. But at the rendezvous back in town, the police spot Florentine's car and become suspicious. A policeman spots Lambert up the street in the village. Against Lambert's protests, Ursula runs up the street towards him. After issuing warning shots, the policeman shoots several rounds up the street, mortally wounding Ursula in the back as she stands in front of Lambert, who is unhit. He holds her in a doorway, and as she dies, they declare their love for each other, just before she falls dead on the ground.
Cast
*
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...
as Ursula
*
Alida Valli
Alida Maria Laura, ''Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, s ...
as Florentine
*
Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd (born William Millar; 4 July 1931 – 2 June 1977) was a Northern Irish actor. He appeared in some 60 films, most notably as the villainous Messala in '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), a role that earned him the Golden Globe Award for Bes ...
as Lambert
*
José Nieto as Comte Miguel de Ribera
*
Fernando Rey as Tío
*
Maruchi Fresno as Conchita
*
Adriano Domínguez
Adriano Domínguez Fernández (4 January 1919 – 9 May 2008) was a Spanish film and television actor. He appeared in 150 films between 1945 and 1994. He survived to the terrorist act at California 47 café in 1979 by GRAPO. He died on 9 May 200 ...
as Fernando
*
José Marco Davó
José Marco Davó (1895–1974) was a Spanish film actor.Pitts p.307
Selected filmography
* ''Es mi hombre'' (1934)
* ''Don Quintín el amargao'' (1935) - Nicasio
* ''La última falla'' (1940)
* ''Whirlwind'' (1941) - Portero
* '' Dawn of Americ ...
Le chef de la police
Reception
On
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
the film has an approval rating of 20% based on 5 critics, with an average rating of 4.60/10.
Nathan Rabin of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' said this about the restored version of the film: "''The Night Heaven Fell'' still leaves much to be desired artistically, this new transfer is a crisp, vivid marvel that gives an interesting but tremendously flawed film better treatment than it probably deserves".
The
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
version of the film was released on 19 September 2001. Rich Rosell of ''Digitally Obsessed'', who reviewed it, gave it a "C+".
References
External links
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French crime drama films
Italian crime drama films
1958 films
CinemaScope films
1958 crime drama films
Films directed by Roger Vadim
Films set in Spain
Films scored by Georges Auric
Films shot in Almería
1950s Italian films
1950s French films
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