Summary
When his wife’s lover and then his wife are both murdered, estate agent Julien Vercel
is the prime suspect. However, his secretary, Barbara Becker is convinced of his
innocence, even if he has just given her the sack. Whilst Vercel goes into hiding,
Barbara sets out to uncover the real murderer and discovers a tangled web of intrigue.
But is Vercel really innocent..?
Review
François Truffaut’s last film is a pleasing résumé of his cinema
work, and certainly an entertaining film in its own right. Here we have a delicious
melange of film noir, intelligent comedy, a developing love between the main characters,
location filming in neon-lit streets, strong, believable characters, a robust core plot.
Georges Delerue provides music to his customary high standard, and who else would Truffaut
employ as his photographic director than the legendary Nestor Almendros? It
is an entertaining patchwork-quilt of the best of Truffaut, lacking only the presence
of Jean-Pierre Léaud.
The basic plot - a detective thriller - is classic film noir material. However,
Truffaut, being Alfred Hitchcock’s number one fan, as well as a very competent director,
makes something quite special out of this and the result is far more satisfying than a
standard American crime movie. Having convinced us that the central character Vercel
is definitely the killer, Truffaut weaves a complex mystery where clues are uncovered
but nothing is revealed - and we are still guessing right to the very end.
Building intrigue upon intrugue in this way has its limits, and, if carried too far, risks
alienating or boring the audience. Truffaut manages to avoid this for two good reasons.
The first is the director’s decision to use comedy to relieve tension. By doing
this, he of course runs the risk of ridiculing, or at least making a cheap caricature
of the film noir theme, compromising his own work in the process. Fortunately, and
very strangely, the comedy works very well and actually serves to complement the thriller
component of the film. You constantly feel that that the comedy is there by accident,
or maybe that it isn’t really there at all - and it is this which makes it so effective.
The comic situations just seem to happen by chance - as they do in life. (The perfect
example of this being the scene were Ardant coshes someone with a model Eiffel Tower.)
This is just one of many examples of the immense subtlety in Truffaut’s cinema.
Truffaut’s second secret weapon is, of course, Fanny Ardant herself. The actress
is - literally - perfectly cast in this film. Not only is she aluring and witty
but, as this film shows, Ardant is a very talented, intelligent actress. It
is clear that Ardant and Truffaut worked well together - there is not one scene in this
film where Ardant fails to please.
Truffaut’s decision to make the film in black and white was a tremendous gamble - particularly
in the early 1980s. However, it is this probably more than anything else which makes
Vivement dimanche! so special. Throughout the film there is a strong reference
back to the past, to Truffaut’s early film making days, when the New Wave was at the height
of its success. Certain scenes are so evocative of earlier classic films that
you are momentarily convinced this film comes from an earlier era of cinema. In
the 1980s, detective thrillers were by and large bland, formulaic films, too readily conforming
to an already out-dated American model. By not going down that path but, instead,
opting for an avenue that was closer to his own heart, Truffaut creates a film that is
much more entertaining and intelligent than the norm.
Truffaut’s last film is not his best but it is a worthy parting shot from one of the world’s
great film directors.
© James Travers 2002
See also:
The life of François Truffaut
Les 400 coups
Tirez sur le pianiste
Jules et Jim
Farenheit 451
Baisers volés
Le Dernier métro
Buy films by François Truffaut
More about the French New Wave
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