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Credits
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Summary
Since his wife left him, almost twenty years ago, the once brilliant lawyer Loursat has
slumped into a life of despondency and drunkenness. He lives in a vast empty house
with his teenage daughter, Nicole, with whom he hardly communicates. One fateful
day, something happens which pulls Loursat back from the abyss: he discovers a dead body
in his house. When his daughter and her group of rebellious young friends are charged
with the murder, Loursat decides to take charge of the case.
Review
This atmospheric work excels mainly on the strength of the performance of its lead actor,
Raimu, arguably one of French cinema’s greatest talents. Few other actors from this
period could have conveyed so convincingly the transformation we see the film’s main character
undergo as he suddenly discovers a reason for living after years of withdrawal.
It is also one of Henri Decoin’s best directorial efforts, far more impressive than the generally lacklustre films he turned out after World War II. The hauntingly noirish photography and austere sets vividly convey a mood of futility and despair, such as might have prevailed in France in its darkest hour under Nazi Occupation. The film also offered a timely plea to society to treat its younger citizens with more tolerance and respect, to try to understand their point of view before rushing to judgement. The film, based on a novel by Georges Simenon, was remade twice - once in America in 1967 and again in France in 1992 , with respectively James Mason and Jean-Paul Belmondo in the lead role. Neither film stands up well when compared with Decoin’s magnificent 1942 version. © James Travers 2003 Write a review for this film... |
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