From the very first shot I knew I’d made the right decision to watch Bay Of Angels (1963; La baie des anges): it’s a shot of glamorous Jeanne Moreau standing in a street near the water at Monte Carlo, the camera immediately pulling away and racing backwards down the street. Directed by Jacques Demy, his second film and not a musical, this romance about gambling starts with a young clerk Jean (Claude Mann) who winds up addicted to playing roulette tables thanks to a coworker and friend Caron (Paul Guers). While holidaying in Monte Carlo, Jean meets Jackie (Moreau) in a casino where they both become intertwined over the spin of the roulette wheel while a thunderous piece by composer Michel Legrand reoccurs. With bleached blonde hair and a white dress, Moreau is completely iconic and mesmerising here, an opposite to Jean’s restrained neophyte; gambling is her religion to the point where she has a mini roulette wheel in her suitcase. As opposed to the French New Wave at the time, there’s something old fashioned here – it’s not really deconstructive or that postmodern really. It’s all about the chic fashions, black and white cinematography, and the glamorous bad romance of it all. There’s references to American dime store pulp novels, yet there’s no crime element – the danger is in the couple’s relationship and the frustration Jean has over Jackie’s pursuit of a reckless lifestyle. I really liked Bay Of Angels and Moreau is so wonderful here, an extravagant bombshell. All under 90 minutes as well with a closing scene you might accept as quickly as it happens or rethink continually about afterwards. Available to stream on Stan along with other Jacques Demy movies like Lola, Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, Donkey Skin and more. Recommended.
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