Jacques Prévert's dramatic script combines with director Jean Grémillon's marvelous visual sense and concern for characterization. Jean Gabin stars as a tugboat captain whose first love is the sea, and who seldom sees his invalid wife (Madeleine Renaud). When he rescues a woman (Michèle Morgan) during a storm, she becomes the object of his passion, though he allows his wife to die convinced of his love for her. Tavernier writes, “The shooting of Remorques started during the ‘phony war' (1939). It suffered quite a few setbacks and had to be interrupted several times. Grémillon only managed to finish the film at the beginning of 1941, with the utmost difficulty, after (the) producer had fled the Nazi regime. To me, it remains an outstanding film, (though it is) unfortunately largely neglected in many countries.”