Les Aventures d'Arsène Lupin (1957)
Directed by Jacques Becker

Film Review

A colourful and whimsical film, Les Aventures d'Arsène Lupin is Jacques Becker's attempt to shed some light on the mystery of the great hero of French detective fiction from the pen of Maurice Leblanc.  The result is a fairly satisfying film in some ways, but the character of Lupin is, if anything, undermined by Becker's attempt to rationalise his thinking and methods. The character in Leblanc's books is a far more shady, mysterious figure.  By contrast, Robert Lamoureux's portray is that of the traditional romantic hero, capable of winning the heart of any woman at the drop of a top hat, dispatching his enemies with non-violent ease, and escaping from impossibly tight corners with great panache and flair.  This is a horribly clichéd, overly simplistic representation of the Lupin character which, to anyone acquainted with Leblanc's stories, can only come as a disappointment.

That said, the film has some admirable production values.  Robert Lamoureux and Liselotte Pulver are equally enchanting, the sets and costumes are beautiful, albeit a little chocolate-boxy.  There is a fine script, with some quite funny situations.  It may fall just outside the official Arsène Lupin canon, but, in its own right, the film is entertaining and amusing.

Film Synopsis

Paris, 1912.  At a society gathering two priceless paintings are spirited away by an Italian diplomat who is none other than the infamous gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin.  Adopting the name André Laporte, this most decorous of criminals continues preying on the rich, evading capture as easily as a phantom as he amuses himself in his larcenous exploits.  The only person not to be taken in by Lupin's latest disguise is Mina von Kraft, a German aristocrat who uses her powers of seduction to kidnap the famous thief and present him to Kaiser William II, the Emperor of Germany.  A great admirer of Lupin, the Kaiser offers him a challenge that he cannot resist - to find the secret hiding place where he has concealed his greatest treasure, a jewel of inestimable value.  Naturally Lupin accepts the wager and it is only a short time before he lays his hand on the precious gem, but can he bring himself to upset the Kaiser by revealing his success...?