Film Review
The French-Polish filmmaker Marcel Bluwal is best known for his work
for French television but he also made two notable films for cinema:
Le Monte-charge (1962) and
Carambolages
(1963). The first of these is a respectable crime drama, closely
based on a novel by Frédéric Dard. The film's main
strength is its script, which has stood the test of time very
well. The characters have psychological depth and the plot makes
a well-oiled suspense thriller. The casting is magnificent and
who can fail to be enthralled by the cat and mouse game between Robert
Herbin and Marthe Dravet? On the technical front the film
impresses with its high-angle shots and moody exterior street scenes,
redolent of classic film noir.
Georges Delerue's well-honed score accompanies a first-rate cast.
Robert Hossein (Dard's one-time accomplice) lugs his restless physique
around, the perfect contrast to the supremely elegant Italian actress
Léa Massari, who appeared with Alain Delon around this time in
Alain Cavalier's beautiful film
L'Insoumis. Maurice
Biraud is equally well-cast as the naive and lecherous witness, whilst
Robert Dalban is a welcome addition as the inspector who is determined
to uncover the mystery of a suspicious death. In spite of some
impressive taglines such as 'he thought he'd found love, she thought
she'd found an alibi',
Le
Monte-charge was only a modest success, attracting an audience
of 0.9 million, but it is nevertheless well worth a DVD release.
© Willems Henri (Brussels, Belgium) 2012
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Film Synopsis
Released from prison one Christmas evening, Robert Herbin tries to
contact his mother, only to find that she died whilst he was in
jail. Alone and uncertain where to go, Robert enters a
café where he meets a solitary woman and her young
daughter. The woman, Marthe, pleases Robert and, out of kindness,
he escorts her and her child back to her apartment. Marthe tells
Robert that her husband is away on business but she resists his
attempts to seduce her. Later, Marthe changes her mind and
invites the stranger back to her apartment. On his return, Robert
is surprised to find the dead body of Marthe's husband...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.