80
Interesting movement holds through the entirety. Life in the native quarter, with its squalor and intrigues, is particularly well presented and photographed.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
100
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
One of the most purely enjoyable films ever made.
100
New Times (L.A.) by David Ehrenstein
Not to be missed. And pay close attention to the finale. It's a genuine surprise.
100
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
This masterpiece of poetic realism features one of Gabin's most renowned performances, a smart subtext about French colonialism, and enough exotic atmosphere to keep your head in the clouds long after the final scene.
80
Casually racist and inordinately sexist, Pépé le Moko is best enjoyed for its offhand surrealism.
100
Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum
An early voice-over segment about the Casbah itself, before Gabin makes an appearance, is so pungent you can almost taste the place, even though the filming was clearly done in a studio.
100
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
Beautifully crafted, movingly acted, still involving and entertaining, this is just the kind of film people are talking about when they say they don't make them like this anymore.
100
Chicago Tribune by Michael Wilmington
A timeless romantic thriller that steeps us in one of those great artificial movie worlds that become more overpowering than reality itself.
100
Seattle Post-Intelligencer by William Arnold
Above all, the film is a classic of "poetic realism," that distinct brand of pessimistic '30s French urban drama that gave lyrical, sometimes even surrealistic, interpretations to working-class romances and underworld characters, settings and dramas.