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The Fire Within

The Fire Within

Drama · 1963

Depressed Alain Leroy leaves the clinic where he was detoxified. He meets friends, acquaintances and women, trying to find a reason to continue living.

Movie details

The Fire Within

1963 Drama 1h 48m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.6 / 10

Community rating

Depressed Alain Leroy leaves the clinic where he was detoxified. He meets friends, acquaintances and women, trying to find a reason to continue living.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Fire Within?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Psychological drama of the compelling relationship between a young French engineer and the girl he takes into his home after his wife has left him with their baby son.

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Helen

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Louis Malle

Written by

Louis Malle

Maurice Ronet

Maurice Ronet

Alain Leroy

Léna Skerla

Léna Skerla

Lydia

Yvonne Clech

Yvonne Clech

Mademoiselle Farnoux

Hubert Deschamps

Hubert Deschamps

D'Averseau

Jean-Paul Moulinot

Jean-Paul Moulinot

Dr. La Barbinais

Mona Dol

Mona Dol

Madame La Barbinais

Pierre Moncorbier

Pierre Moncorbier

Moraine

Court is in session

Put The Fire Within on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.