Compartiment tueurs
1965 Crime / Thriller
|
Credits
|
|
|
Summary
On the night-train from Marseilles to Paris, a young woman is murdered in her sleeping
compartment. Inspector Grazzi takes charge of the investigation, aided by his young assistant
Jean-Lou. They track down the passengers who took the same train and uncover a web
of intrigue. Then, one by one, the passengers are mysteriously killed…
Review
Costa-Gavras made his directoral debut with this fast-moving, convoluted but magnificently
assembled crime thriller. The film reflects the director’s interest for American
film noir and, thanks largely to an impressive cast, is one of his most entertaining films.
Compartiment tueurs is certainly a far more accessible than the heavy political
thrillers which would earn Costa-Gavras his reputation in the following decade.
An all-star cast (which includes several cameo appearances from popular French actors
of the period) is headed by Yves Montand, who would feature strongly in a number of Costa-Gavras
later political films. Montand stars in this film with his wife, Simone Signoret,
and their daughter Catherine Allégret (the daughter of Signoret’s first ill-fated
marriage to director Yves Allegrét). Although Montand’s strong screen
presence dominates, the charismatic Signoret and her stunning daughter cannot help to
capture our attention.
© James Travers 2000 Write a review for this film... |
|
