Raphaël le tatoué (1939) User Reviews (3)

Silly plot,silly songs and wonderful Fernandel!

[dbdumonteil · 19 November 2006]

This is almost a musical,for there are three ditties,each one sillier than the other: "Irai-je ou n'irai-je pas ?" (Shall I stay or shall I go?) "portrait d'un tatoué" and the sublime " "Il Faut une Auto pour Aller au Poteau" (It takes a car to go the starting post).

And the plot follows suit: a motor race so exhausting it takes two pilots to win;and Fernandel/Modeste (sic) pretends to have a twin brother,Raphaêl ,a tattooed tough guy who 's just come from Africa via the local amusement park.

Fernandel is extraordinary:he creates the two characters with his legendary skills.Watch for the scene on the farm where he fights with himself.

There are also delicious puns.The posh gentleman at the station asking the carriage 9 gets a sublime answer: it's not 9! it's q! It's the "Wagon Q" at the rear of the train!."In French ,the letter Q and the word "Cul" (=a...)have the same pronunciation.

It's the first time I've written a comment on a film my two best IMDb pals have already reviewed.Hi,L and O!Hi Lily,Hi Lo!

First-class Fernandel

[ohm_tvede · 8/10 · 17 December 2004]

Fernandel shines in this Christian-Jaque comedy. He is here allowed to play a dual character as his boss at the car factory is convinced the night watchman Modeste has a petty criminal brother meeting the first one at a night club when he should be at his night shift. Consequently, he tries to make the twins his driver(s) in hope to win the next automobile marathon. This nice fluff includes musical numbers, romance and some car chases. This is one of the hundreds of french comedies from the 30s very few people will ever be able to see, films who despite their very unpretentious nature always have something special to offer their viewers. This is one of the very best.

The Final Tattoo?

[writers_reign · 8/10 · 9 November 2006]

In retrospect this was ideal fodder for the masses on the brink of war; sight gags, songs, comedy AND Fernandel, one of THE comic icons of French Cinema. The plot is just something that permits Fernandel to strut his stuff - his boss catches him at a funfair when he should be working in his capacity as night watchman, but that wasn't HIM, no, of course not, it was his brother. From there you can write it yourself, but why bother, instead enjoy the one that's already been written and directed with just the right touch by Christian Jacque. If you already know Fernandel from other movies - or Christian Jacque for that matter - then you won't need any urging from me to check this one out, if you don't know Fernandel or Jacque it's time that you did. Another winner from France via Norway.