Marius

Released Apr 13, 1933

2h 5m

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Cesar (Raimu) and his son, Marius (Pierre Fresnay), run a bar together off a Marseilles port frequented by booze-seeking sailors, grizzled and weather-beaten captains, and the other seaside dwellers who live and work in Marseilles. Marius yearns to join a crew one day and try out his sea legs in search of exotic locations, but his dreams are held at bay by his love for local girl Fanny (Orane Demazis), whose offer of marriage from a wealthy older suitor brings him to expose his feelings for her.

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Farran Smith Nehme

Village Voice

Pagnol gives the illusion of naturalism through the vivid energy and affection of his characters.

Jan 3, 2017

Full Review

Time Out

In place of purpose, these films display such old-fashioned virtues as truth to life and boundless humanity.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Don Druker

Chicago Reader

A marvelous, lusty film.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Marius sets the tone for the domestic tragedy threading the trilogy together, and takes its time establishing the characteristics of the ornery but jovial bar owner Cesar (a winning performance from Raimu).

Rated: 4/5

Oct 4, 2019

Full Review

Nathanael Hood

The Retro Set

One of the first great French talkies.

Rated: 8/10

Dec 29, 2018

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

A tragicomedy not of camera angles but of bodies and voices

Apr 19, 2010

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Audience Member

We waTCHED THIS, THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE faNNY TRILOGY LAST NIGHT. iT HAS A VERY NON-hOLLYWOOD ENDING THAT i WILL NOT SPOIL. tHE CHARACTERS fANNY, MARIUS, AND cESAR ARE EACH STRUGGLING WITH THEIR OWN DESIRES AND THE CONFINES OF THEIR SOCIETY. tHE FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP OF MARIUS AND CESAR IS PARTICULARLY TOUCHING.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Lately since delving into some rich & absorbing French Cinema I have stumbled across an amazing trilogy centered around a difficult relationship set on a port in Marseilles. I think it's one of the most truthful & realistic romantic relationships I have seen put to celluloid. The story is so simple Bar Keep's son (Marius) torn between life on the sea & life with his first love Fanny a local girl. The first film focuses on their love & struggles & showcases such truth & realism...you just believe in the characters. I was so surprised how quickly I was whisked away into this Marseilles world, a terrific & wonderful film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

bill t

I guess you gotta be French in order to really appreciate it's charms. I found it pretty dull.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Stunning! I can watch it over and over again, and I still cry every time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

george r

This was one of the early sound films. "Marius" us the 1st of the trilogy. I have seen the later English language version, which was in color and combined all into one fim- it's titled just "Fanny", stars Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier and Charles Boyer. It is entertaining but "Hollywood-ized", less realistic and lighter in tone and I think lacks the poignance and charm of this earlier version, which is seriously dramatic at times and more lighthearted at other times.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I've only seen this three times. Not enough!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Alexander Korda

Director

Raimu

César Olivier

Pierre Fresnay

Marius

Orane Demazis

Fanny

Fernand Charpin

Honoré Panisse

Alida Rouffe

Honorine Cabanis

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Synopsis

Cesar (Raimu) and his son, Marius (Pierre Fresnay), run a bar together off a Marseilles port frequented by booze-seeking sailors, grizzled and weather-beaten captains, and the other seaside dwellers who live and work in Marseilles. Marius yearns to join a crew one day and try out his sea legs in search of exotic locations, but his dreams are held at bay by his love for local girl Fanny (Orane Demazis), whose offer of marriage from a wealthy older suitor brings him to expose his feelings for her.

Director: Alexander Korda
Producer: Robert T. Kane, Marcel Pagnol
Screenwriter: Marcel Pagnol
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 13, 1933, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 20, 2017
Runtime: 2h 5m

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