Paris, France, December 1946. Jenny Lamour, an ambitious cabaret singer, and Maurice, her extremely jealous pianist husband, become involved in the thorough investigation of the murder of a shady businessman, led by Antoine, a peculiar and methodical police inspector.
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Hark the herald angels sing. Quai des Orfèvres is directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot and Clouzot co-writes the screenplay with Jean Ferry. It is based on the novel Legitime defense written by Stanislas-André Steeman . it stars Louis Jouvet, Suzy Delair, Bernard Blier and Simone Renant. Music is by Francis Lopez and cinematography by Armand Thirard. When high profile business man Georges Brignon is found murdered all evidence points to jealous husband Maurice Martineau - Inspector Antoine takes up the case. Following the backlash and fallout from Le Corbeau in 1943, Henri-Georges Clouzot wasn't allowed to make a film for four years, his return brought about Quai des Orfevres. Although a highly respected master of his craft, Clouzot was frowned upon for the dark approach to human nature in some of his films, whilst his treatment of the actors under his direction is legendary in a bad way. So how interesting to find that his comeback picture is actually one of his most accessible, very much thriving on human interest factors for literally everyone in the picture! This a traditional police who done it procedural in core essence, one that does come with coincidences and contrivances, and yet the characters are so richly drawn, their lives so compelling, that the simplicity of plot is actually irrelevant. We are in post war Paris and the back drop is the world of theatre and nightclubs. Clouzot offers up in the fist instance some film noir staples, a possible femme fatale, gay love from afar, cuckold husband and a grotesque murder victim. Even the acts on the stage have a weirdness to them, Wheeling Winos - one with a paper mache head! Dogs that walk on their hind legs! How wonderful. The clubs are smoky, the streets dimly lighted for menacing atmosphere, Clouzot and Thirard have created a splendid moody world from which to spin the tale. I'll take him for a ride, and what a ride! Pitched at the front is Jenny Lamour (Delair), who is not beyond using her sexuality to further her stage career, which of course doesn't sit well with her highly jealous husband Maurice (Blier), a man clearly punching above his weight with Jenny. Ah but Clouzot is a crafty devil, he has let us into a secret that undermines us the viewer's expectations and that of Maurice. This keeps the question of who is the murderer - and the motive - as a constant intrigue. There's little slices of sexy sauce to tantalise, and the whole play developes into a sort of tragic comedy, but always the characterisations of the key players are earthy and dealing in foibles. Then Inspector Antoine (Jouvet excellent) holds court, a grumpy but stoically deceptive man of his work, film noir has itself another policeman of note. Visually there's some treats, such as the dark shadowy walk that Maurice takes to Villa St Marceaux, arriving at the house which instantly looks like a noir nightmare. Better still is a sequence as we get towards the denouement, Maurice in a holding pen, a sexy lady in the pen next door, as bells ring out she is framed in shadowed bars whilst Maurice's mind begins to fracture. The craft on show is sublime at times, visually and on the page. I'm not over enamoured with Delair as an actress, but conversely Renant is quality and gorgeous into the bargain, while I think the ending should have really gone into black hearted territory. All told though, and this is Clozot's least suspenseful film that I have seen, this is well worthy of time investment for lovers of classic French cinema. 7.5/10
Suzy Delair is the eponymous songstress, married to her unassuming accompanist "Maurice" (Bernard Blier). Now she is from a grittier background than her well-to-do husband, and she is ambitious - so when he catches her eying up elderly, and rather seamy, businessman "Brignon" (Charles Dullin) he loses his temper. When he subsequently discovers that she has gone to meet him, "Maurice" heads to his home with blood in his eyes. Thing is, when he gets there the corpse is all ready and waiting for him. Whodunit? Well that's down to the ferret-like skills of "Insp. Antoine" (Louis Jouvet). The plot thickens when both "Jenny" and "Maurice" attempt to fool the policeman with palpably fake alibis and the only real clues might lie with their neighbour "Dora" (Simone Renant) who also has some skin the game - but of the amorous nature. It's a complex and engaging thriller this, with lots of red herrings - some obvious, some subtle. The characters - especially "Dora" play well to the mystery of the thing and by half way in, the death of the old reprobate is secondary to the intrigue of who did what to whom and, more importantly, why? Jouvet is on great form as the curmudgeonly and fastidious detective and as the pace of his investigations gathers, the temperature of the whole thing raises nicely to boiling point. The photography is at times moody and sexy, and the settings all contribute well to a superior film noir that I thoroughly enjoyed watching.
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