La Vierge du Rhin (1953) - film review

Believed to have been killed in action during World War II, Jacques Ledru returns to his hometown of Strasbourg.  He finds that his wife Geneviève has re-married and has taken over his shipping company.  When she discovers that her former husband is still alive, Geneviève realises that she has only one course of action if she is to hold on to the fortune she has acquired: she must kill Ledru.  On night, Ledru confronts his former wife and her new husband, Maurice Labbé.  The latter prevents Geneviève from killing Ledru but a short while later he himself is killed by an unknown assailant.  Geneviève accuses Ledru of killing Labbé, but Ledru is certain that his wife is the murderer…

Gilles Grangier directs this satisfying mixing of melodrama and policier with energy, realism and artistic flair – qualities which are much less noticeable in his later films.  The story and its presentation are pure B movie material and the film compares favourably alongside many American films of the genre.

Jean Gabin, enjoying a comeback after a pretty fallow period in the 1940s, gives a characteristically morose and enigmatic performance, a stark contrast to the flawed romantic hero that marked his early film career.  The performances from the supporting cast are also worth noting, particularly Elina Labourdette who plays the film’s ambiguous villainess with a sinister coolness.

Unlike most policiers of this decade, the film makes extensive use of location photography, and even includes some spectacular stunts.  This gives the film a realism and sense of narrative coherence which is often lacking in studio bound thrillers of this period.

© James Travers 2004

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