Film Review
Another victim of the French Nouvelle Vague was the distinguished film
director Julien Duvivier. Admittedly, some of his best work (from
between 1935 and 1960) was behind him. Nevertheless, in the
sixties his cinematic and narrative skills did not desert him in films
such as
Boulevard, Le Diable et
les dix commandements and
Chair
de poule.
La Chambre ardente is no
exception to the rule. First seen in Paris on the 30th March
1962, this Franco-German production is adapted by Duvivier and Charles
Spaak from a book written in 1937 by the American writer John Dickson
Carr.
The French cast is made up of such distinguished performers as
Jean-Claude Brialy, Claude Rich and Edith Scob (Georges Franju's muse
in
Les Yeux sans visage and
Judex).
On the German side, the parts were offered to Austrian actrice Nadja
Tiller (seen in movies with Jean Gabin, Robert Hossein, Pierre
Brasseur, Jean Marais and Jean-Paul Belmondo) and actor/husband Walter
Giller. If the rest of the crew is well-suited for this polished
and attractive Gothic drama, the film has a few weaknesses due to its
mix of rational and supernatural elements. On the other hand, the
film's impeccable construction, some crisp dialogue and several
atmospheric scenes (such as the murder and the funeral) are to its
credit. If the film's conclusion is open-ended, one can say that
it stays true to the spirit of John Dickson Carr's work. Finally,
the title refers to a court in the 17th century where famous poisoners
such as la Brinvilliers and la Voisin were interrogated and
tortured. This 3 star film has been available on DVD since
January 2012.
© Willems Henri (Brussels, Belgium) 2012
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Next Julien Duvivier film:
Le Diable et les dix commandements (1962)
Film Synopsis
A dedicated student of history, Mathias Desgrez is an old man who lives alone
in his castle buried deep in the Black Forest. As his health steadily
declines, he is assiduously tended to by his devoted nurse, Myra Schneider.
One summer, he invites his nephews, Stéphane and Marc, to his ancient
homestead to spend a few weeks with him. On their arrival, these two
are surprised by the discovery that their uncle has also invited the journalist
Michel Boissard and his wife Marie. They have yet to discover the improbable
historical connection between the old man and the seductive young woman.
It seems that Marie is the last descendent of the Marquise de Brinvilliers,
a notorious poisonner at the time of King Louis XIV. After a career
that brought her lasting infamy, the wicked Marquise was finally brought
to justice by a policeman who, incredible as it may seem, is a distant ancestor
of Mathias. Is the old man tempting Providence by inviting the descendent
of a celebrated murderess into his home? This appears to be the case,
as he dies suddenly on the night that his guests are enjoying a masked ball.
The verdict is conclusive: Mathias Desgrez was killed by poisoning!
Most worrying of all is the testimony of Desgrez's housekeeper, who claims
to have caught a glimpse of a woman in 17th century apparel in her employer's
bedroom just before he died. On learning that he has been disinherited,
Stéphane becomes suspicious and orders the exhumation of his uncle
so that a thorough autopsy can be performed. To his surprise, the family
vault contains no trace of his uncle's remains. Is it possible that
the spirit of the evil Marquise de Brinvilliers has returned to avenge her
execution, or is there a more down to earth explanation for the murder of
Mathias Desgrez..?
© James Travers
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