Picpus (1943) - film review

Whilst moving into her new apartment in the rue Picpus, Paris, Madame Dumont discovers a dead body in her wardrobe.  Inspector Maigret is called into investigate.  A blind neighbour and possible witness to the killing has also been shot dead, then a mysterious near-sighted man, Mascouvin, warns Maigret that another murder is about to take place.  Maigret arrives too late to prevent the next killing – that of Madame Dumont – but he quickly uncovers a brace of likely suspects.   First there is the mysterious ex-navy doctor, Le Cloaguen, who was locked in the kitchen at the time when Madame Dumont was attacked.  Then there is Mascouvin, who seems to know more than he should.  And there is Arno de Bédarieu, a writer who is found on the scene of both murders.  Maigret’s instinct tells him that another death is imminent...

Made by Continental Films at the time of the Nazi Occupation, Picpus was the first of three films to feature popular actor Albert Préjean in the role of Inspector Maigret.  (The other two films were Cécile est morte (1944) and Les Caves du Majestic (1945)).  Whilst the film manages to evoke the dark atmosphere of Georges Simenon’s famous Maigret novels – by some obvious leanings towards German expressionism and American film noir – it is a far from satisfactory effort.

The film’s biggest handicap is its plot, which is inordinately complex.  Tellingly, neither the film’s screenwriter nor its director saw the need to simplify the plot and render it comprehensible to the average cinemagoer.   That, combined with a plodding narrative style, some clumsy attempts at comedy, and generally lacklustre direction, render the film painfully tiresome to sit through.

It is hard to dispute that Albert Préjean is one of France’s most important film actors, but he is clearly miscast in the role of Maigret.  His portrayal of the famed Gallic detective is about as bland and anemic as it could be, with none of the character fashioned by Simenon in his novels.  Simenon’s Maigret certainly would not have allowed himself to saddled with the incompetent oaf Lucas (played with comic ineptitude by André Gabriello) seen in this film.  Unfortunately, most of the rest of the cast are equally as unimpressive, and what we get are uninspired performances of some very dull characters.  The only relief from this cavalcade of complacent monotony is provided by Edouard Delmont’s creepy Le Cloaguen and Jean Tissier faintly potty Mascouvin.

© James Travers 2003

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