François Villon (1945)

Human Brothers who live after us...

François Villon was a medieval poet whose most famous works were "La Ballade des Pendus" (="Ballad of the Hanged Men ) and "La Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis" (=Ballad of the ladies of long ago).In the tavern (Villon wrote also a poem about the atmosphere of a tavern),we can hear the poet declaim lines of the former while he says two lines of the latter to his lady friend.

According to historian Jean Tulard,none of the biography is really authentic and the screenplay is somewhat desultory.The story takes place first in Paris,then in Orleans .Nobody knows how Villon's life ended ,he disappeared,period.So do not let the ending fool you .

Serge Reggiani is well cast as François Villon ,and the director succeeds in recreating the dirty streets of the Middle Ages,the "justice " of the Church,the taverns and the whores,and a foggy river at night with the walls of Paris in the distance.

Bob Dylan told Robert Shelton he borrowed the structure of "The lonesome death of Hattie Caroll" from Villon.