L’Affaire Dominici (1973) - film review

In August 1952, a family of British tourists is found by the roadside in Haute Provence, brutally murdered.  In the ensuing, very public, investigation a local landowner, 75 year old Gaston Dominici, is arrested for the murders, having been denounced by his sons.  Under police interrogation, Dominici confesses to have killed the family and it looks certain that he will be charged, tried and sentenced to death.  But then the case begins to collapse.  The old man retracts his confession and the lack of evidence against him becomes apparent…

L’Affaire Dominici is based on a true story that consumed a great deal of newsprint on both sides of the English Channel in the early 1950s.  The affair remains a mystery to this day; no one knows for sure whether Dominici was guilty or innocent, or why his sons betrayed him to the police.  There was some hostility, particularly from those involved in the case, when the film was released in 1973.  The film, a sombre realist drama, leaves a lasting impression, thanks mainly to its lead actor, Jean Gabin, who excels in this, his last great performance before his death in 1976.

© James Travers 2004

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