Le Dernier des six
1941 Comedy Thriller
|
Credits
|
|
|
Summary
Having
won some money in a bet, six men agree to a strange pact. They
will
separate for five years, each attempting to build a fortune from his
portion
of the winnings. After five years, they will meet up and share
between
them the wealthy they have accumulated. Five years later, two of
the men are killed just before the six can meet up to conclude the
pact.
Commissaire Wens is assigned to investigate the case, assisted by his
star-struck
girlfriend Mila Malou. Wens soon discovers that someone is
trying to eliminate each of the six men – but for what purpose?Review
This
early example of the French mystery crime thriller (or ‘polar’) manages to
evoke
the American film noir genre which inspired it, most notably in the
shadowy
sets and atmospheric photography. It also manages to bring
in another important genre of American cinema in the 1930s and ‘40s,
the
lavish song and dance film, with an impressive staging of a French
music
hall performance.
The film was based on a novel by the Belgian writer, Stanislas-André Steeman, which was adapted by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The latter would direct his first film the following year, L’Assassin habite au 21, an adaptation of another novel by the same writer, with Pierre Fresnay again playing the part of the cool (but patient) Commissioner Wens. Whilst this is an entertaining film, with an ingenious plot and a curious blend of comedy and whodunnit, it lacks the menace and suspense of Clozout’s own films. Nonetheless, the acting is impressive, with Fresnay and the bubbling Suzy Delair particularly pleasing to watch. © James Travers 2001 |
|
 |