Two women love the same man in a world of few prospects. In Budapest, Liliom is a "public figure," a rascal who's a carousel barker, loved by the experienced merry-go-round owner and by a young, innocent maid. The maid, Julie, loses her job after going out with Liliom; he's fired by his jealous employer for going out with Julie. The two lovers move in with Julie's aunt; unemployment emasculates him and a local weasel tempts him with crime. Julie, now wan, is true to Liliom even in his bad temper. Meanwhile, a stolid widower, a carpenter, wants to marry Julie. Is there any future on this earth for Julie and Liliom, whose love is passionate rather than ideal?
Direction
Lang's Expressionist shadows haunting everyday Budapest poverty.
Production
The afterlife bureaucracy—Bergman meets Dickens by way of depression.
Director
Fritz Lang
Charles Boyer
Liliom Zadowski
Madeleine Ozeray
Julie Boulard
Robert Arnoux
Letourneur
Roland Toutain
The drunken sailor
Alexandre Rignault
Hollinger
Henri Richard
The Commissioner
Marcel Barencey
Purgatory Cop
Raoul Marco
L'inspecteur - The Detective
Antonin Artaud
Le rémouleur (The Knife Grinder)
Léon Arvel
L'employé du commissariat (Police station employee)
Pierre Alcover
Alfred
Florelle
Mme. Moscat
Maximilienne
Mme. Menoux
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Lang fled Germany in 1933; this was his first French film, made while literally stateless.
Adapted from Ferenc Molnár's play, which Rodgers & Hammerstein later musicalized as Carousel—same toxic love, more singing.
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