Les Perles de la couronne (1937) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch

 

Les Perles de la couronne (1937) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch 

French Film, Comedy
English title: The Pearls of the Crown

Venice Film Festival, 1937- Winner: Best Foreign Screenplay

Every now and then, a movie comes along that reminds us just how playful and daring early cinema could be. Long before modern directors started playing with timelines and multi-language scripts as standard artistic choices, a brilliant French filmmaker named Sacha Guitry dropped a masterpiece that did it all first. Released in 1937, The Pearls of the Crown is a dazzling, witty, and wildly ambitious historical comedy that still feels incredibly fresh today. More on Wikipedia or Mubi 

The Crown Jewels That Rewrote Cinema History 

The premise of the film is wonderfully clever. It tracks the fictional and historical journey of seven perfect pearls. Four of these gems end up adorning the famous crown of England, while the remaining three vanish into the winds of time, sparking a century-spanning treasure hunt. Guitry doesn’t just tell this story from one perspective; he splits the narrative across different eras and countries, weaving a rich tapestry that connects figures like Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Elizabeth I, and even Napoleon.

What truly sets this film apart, especially for its time, is its brilliant handling of language. Guitry was a visionary who understood that history doesn’t happen in a monolingual vacuum. The movie effortlessly glides between French, English, and Italian. Instead of feeling like a messy barrier, this linguistic dance becomes the driving force of the film's humor and charm. Guitry himself breaks the fourth wall, stepping into the role of a master storyteller who guides the audience through the centuries with a knowing wink and a sharp sense of irony.

Visually, the movie is an absolute feast. The grand costumes, the elegant set designs, and the sheer scale of the historical recreations show a filmmaker operating at the absolute peak of his powers. It balances the grandeur of a historical epic with the light, rapid-fire dialogue of a stage comedy, a signature style that made Guitry a legend in his homeland.

For anyone looking to dive into the golden age of international cinema, this 1937 gem is an absolute must-watch. It is a brilliant reminder that cinema has always been global, experimental, and, above all, incredibly fun. The Pearls of the Crown is not just a story about missing jewels, it is a jewel itself, waiting to be rediscovered by a new generation of movie lovers.

The Good: Why It Still Captivates

The absolute best part of the film is its sheer, unapologetic ambition. In an era when talking pictures were still finding their footing, Guitry threw out the rulebook. The decision to shoot the film in three languages—French, English, and Italian—wasn't just a gimmick; it was a brilliant creative choice that made the historical world feel alive and authentic.

Guitry’s signature wit elevates the entire experience. He plays the narrator with a charismatic, playful irony, frequently breaking the fourth wall to let the audience in on the joke. The storytelling feels remarkably modern as it jumps across centuries and continents, linking historical giants through a shared obsession with the missing pearls. Visually, the film is stunning, boasting gorgeous cinematography and lavish period costumes that rival the big-budget Hollywood epics of the time.

The Bad: Where It Shows Its Age

On the flip side, the movie's greatest strength is also its biggest weakness. The episodic nature of the plot means the story feels fragmented. Because the narrative is constantly skipping through time to follow the pearls, it can be difficult to emotionally invest in any single character or storyline. Just as you get comfortable with one era, the film yanks you into the next.

The pacing can also feel quite heavy for modern audiences. Guitry came from a theater background, and it shows. The film relies heavily on long, dense monologues and rapid-fire dialogue. If you aren't fluent in all three languages, relying strictly on subtitles can cause you to miss some of the visual nuances and physical comedy happening on screen. Additionally, the historical humor relies on the audience knowing the fates of figures like Napoleon or Marie Antoinette, which might leave some viewers feeling a bit left out of the loop.
English subtitles