On ne meurt que deux fois (1985) Directed by Jacques Deray
Crime / Thriller
aka: He Died with His Eyes Open
Film Synopsis
In the early hours, Insector Staniland comes across the badly mutilated
dead body of a man named Charly Berliner. Believing this to be a
straight-foward case, Staniland's superior Bauman expects him to wrap
it up in no time. At the victim's home, Staniland finds several
cassette recordings which reveal Berliner's passion for a certain
Barbara Spark. When, a short while later, the inspector meets
Barbara for himself he is struck by her sensual allure. But what
is he to think when she admits, in an ironic tone, that she killed
Berliner? Before he knows it, Staniland has fallen completely
under Barbara's spell...
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.