Arch of Triumph

"The story of an outcast and a killer!"

1948 2h 13m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 40

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the winter of 1938, Paris is crowded with refugees from the Nazis, who live in the black shadows of night, trying to evade deportation. One such is Dr. Ravic, who practices medicine illegally and stalks his old Nazi enemy Haake with murder in mind. One rainy night, Ravic meets Joan Madou, a kept woman cast adrift by her lover's sudden death. Against Ravic's better judgment, they become involved in a doomed affair.

“The story of an outcast and a killer!”

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Cast

Ingrid Bergman
Joan Madou
Charles Boyer
Dr. Ravic
Charles Laughton
Ivon Haake
Louis Calhern
Boris Morosov
Ruth Warrick
Kate Bergstroem
Roman Bohnen
Dr. Veber
J. Edward Bromberg
Verdun Hotel Manager
Ruth Nelson
Madame Fessier

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lewis Milestone
Writers: Lewis Milestone, Harry Brown
Languages: German, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

78 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lewis Milestone, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Louis Gruenberg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Duncan Mansfield shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer and Charles Laughton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The story of an outcast and a killer!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0040109 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lewis Milestone directs. Russell Metty behind the camera. Louis Gruenberg scores. Duncan Mansfield cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in German, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

178 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.
3Directed by Lewis Milestone, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Louis Gruenberg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Duncan Mansfield shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer and Charles Laughton carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The story of an outcast and a killer!".
8IMDB entry: tt0040109 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 40 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Metty
Original score: Louis Gruenberg
Editing: Duncan Mansfield
Runtime: 133 min · 2h 13m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Arch of Triumph (1948)

Also by

Lewis Milestone

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-09-03
★ 6/10
Despite featuring one of my favourite actors - Charles Laughton ("Haake"), Ingrid Bergman manages to drag this wartime drama down to an almost soporific pace as her character "Joan" is rescued from almost certain suicide by compassionate Czech doctor "Ravic" (Charles Boyer). Both are refugees fleeing the rise of the Nazis in Eastern Europe. She has what can only be described as a bit of a chequered past and the two now embark on what I felt to be rather a disjoined romance that didn't really convince me. When he is apprehended by the police - without papers, she takes up with a wealthy person and the intrigue rather loses it's way. Laughton is better as the brutal Nazi sophisticate upon whom "Ravic" intends revenge - but he features quite sparingly as the narrative ploddingly meanders towards a rather predictable conclusion. It must be said, though, that this is a really good looking film. Lewis Milestone and cinematographer Russell Metty really do create a seamy and gritty pre-war Paris - especially as their new occupiers move in, and life becomes extremely perilous for these two escapees. At times it is compelling and exciting, but for the most part it just burbles along providing little more than a vehicle for two stars who didn't really gel and for a third we don't see enough of.

Production companies