Les Visiteurs du Soir

Les Visiteurs du Soir (US: The Devil's Envoys) is a 1942 film by French film director Marcel Carné. The film was released on 5 December 1942 in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Plot In May 1485, two of the devil's envoys, Gilles (Alain Cuny) and Dominique (Arletty), arrive at the castle of Baron Hugues (Fernand Ledoux) on the night of a celebration for his daughter's engagement. The Baron's daughter, Anne (Marie Déa), is set to marry Renaud (Marcel Herrand), a warlord who prefers talking about battle more than reciting love poems. Disguised as traveling minstrels, Gilles and Dominique enter the castle and use their powers of enticement to ruin the upcoming nuptials. Gilles seduces the innocent Anne, while both the Baron and Renaud become bewitched with Dominique. But, when Gilles accidentally falls in love with Anne, the Devil (Jules Berry) arrives to ensure that any true happiness is destroyed. When Gilles and Anne are caught together in her room, Gilles is thrown into the dungeon, and Anne and Renaud's engagement is called off. When the Baron and Renaud realize that they are both in love with Dominique, they duel to the death and Renaud is killed. Following the Devil's orders, Dominique leaves the castle and entices the Baron to follow her in suit. Intrigued by Anne's unusual purity and faith in love, the Devil decides he wants Anne for himself. Making a deal with the Devil, Anne agrees to be with him in return for the Devil releasing Gilles from chains. Once Gilles is free, the Devil strips Gilles of his memory and Gilles walks off leaving Anne with the Devil. But, once Gilles is gone, Anne reveals that she lied and that she could never love the Devil. Returning to the fountain where she and Gilles first pronounced their love, Anne and Gilles reunite and through the power of love, Gilles recovers his memory. Finding the two once again in love, the Devil changes them both into statues, but finds that, even underneath stone, their hearts continue to beat. Cast Arletty as Dominique, a minstrel Alain Cuny as Gilles, a minstrel Jules Berry as the Devil Marie Déa as Anne Hugues Fernand Ledoux as Baron Hugues, Anne's father Marcel Herrand as Baron Renaud, Anne's fiance Pierre Labry as the Lord Jean d'Yd as the playboy Roger Blin as the monster showman Gabriel Gabrio as the executioner Simone Signoret as plain maid made beautiful by Gilles