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Credits
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Summary
Madame Cuno and her son, Louis, are being harassed to sell their house by two of their
neigbours. One of the neigbours is killed by Louis in a prank that goes wrong and
the other, Morasseau is suspected of having murdered his wife by Inspector Lavardin.
Determined to get to the truth, Lavardin will use whatever means he feels are appropriate.
And the truth is very grisly indeed...
Review
This is a pretty conventional crime thriller, with some pretty dull characterisation and
limp acting performances. None of the principal characters, except Lavardin, appears
to have any substance, and the end result is by and large lacklustre and plodding.
Thankfully, the film does have its saving graces. Firstly, the character of Lavardin is well played by Jean Poiret. The police inspector's methods and personna are so unconventional that he comes across as more frightening and sinister than any of the murder suspects. Then there is Mathieu Chabrol's eerie background music which imbues a sense of menace into even the (few) lighter scenes. But the strongest selling point is the camera work, heavily embossed with Chabrol's style. This film has some very chilling moments which are achieved through a clever combination of lighting and camera angles. The style is that of a very sophisticated suspense thriller, even if the content isn't. © James Travers 1999
For more on Claude Chabrol see:
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