Russian prince Muichkine returns to St. Petersburg after a stay in a Swiss mental hospital. Blissfully unaware of the greater social problems of his country, the prince believes that love and goodness reign supreme around him. He becomes betrothed to an innocent young girl while trying to save a less-innocent woman from her downfall. Jealousy and his own naivete conjoin to bring about an unimaginable tragedy. ‘L’idiot’ was remade in Japan by Akira Kurosawa (1951) and in Russia by Ivan Pyriev (1958).
Credits: Producer, Sacha Gordine ; director, Georges Lampin ; writers, Charles Spaak, Georges Raewsky ; photography, Christian Matras ; music, Maurice Thiriet, V. de Butzow.
Cast: Gerard Philipe, Edwige Feuillere, Lucien Coedel, Nathalie Nattier, Marguerite Moreno, Jean Debucourt, Sylvie.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000068
Languages
English
French
Subject category
Foreign language films
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)