Au royaume des cieux

This one is ahead of its time in some ways: it shares a lot of similarities with the Women-In-Prison cycle that came much later (including a lengthy, all-out catfight), while the conversations among many different characters who all speak almost simultaneously may remind you of Robert Altman! There is even a disaster-movie sequence somewhere in there. It's weighed-down a little by the love story between Maria and Pierre, mainly because Pierre is wooden (and too old for Maria). But Julien Duvivier's direction has several innovative bits, and the girls impress with their naturalism; those who played Didie and Margot are the clear standouts. The whole movie has an air of modernity to it ("down with the cops, long live the chicks!"). *** out of 4.