Le Voyageur de la Toussaint (1943) - film review

After the death of his parents, a young man named Gilles Mauvoisin returns to their town of origin in France.  Shortly after his arrival, he learns that his uncle, a wealthy business man, has just died and has left his fortune to him.  Gilles also inherits a curious puzzle: if he can crack the combination of his uncle’s safe, he will be even better off.  However, he encounters hostility from members of a strange "syndicate" which includes several important figures in the community who resent his unexpected return.   Then it is discovered that Gilles’ uncle was murdered...

This is an early example of the kind of thriller-mystery, or "polar", which would become phenomenally popular in France during the 1950s.  It is also one of the earliest adaptations of a novel by the popular thriller writer Georges Simenon, whose works would be frequently adapted by French filmmakers in the following decades.

This film, made at the time of the Nazi occupation of France, bears some of the characteristics of classic film noir: an intriguing plot, a bizarre bunch of characters, atmospheric photography. 

Two faces to watch out for a very young Jean Desailly and Serge Reggiani, two actors who would become very prominent in French cinema throughout the following two decades.  They are joined by a characteristically whimsical Jules Berry, who exudes venom and charm in equal measure, and a formidable Gabrielle Dorziat, who plays Gilles’ embittered Aunt.

© James Travers 2000

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