Der Mörder wohnt in Nr. 21

What a smart film this is! It took me a while to get around after the proverbial rug was pulled from under my feet towards its climax.

It is a thriller, but not just that. It is a comedy, but never distracting from the overall tone. It is intelligent, but doesn't take a cheat breather at the end to cover up writing inadequacies.

A policeman has to catch a serial killer in two days. He has for company an ambitious woman who is far from qualified to be in situations she intends to be in. He has a clue. And he has a set of strange people amongst whom he feels he has his target.

A fabulous whodunit ensues. Add to this the beautiful language of the French in what is a fairly verbose film, and you have an absolute must- see. Along with Laura, this is one of my favourite suspense thrillers from the 40s and I definitely recommend it.

Director Henri-Georges Clouzot's first film is an Agatha Christie style mystery, with the murderer constrained to the set of people in a boarding-house and a detective (Pierre Fresnay) investigating them. It's a playful script, buoyed by the perky Suzy Delair who is both his mistress and an aspiring opera singer (and in an interesting side note, Delair, a year younger than Olivia de Havilland, is as of this writing also still alive). The subject matter of a serial killer who leaves a calling card on his victims is of course serious, but it's presented here in a pretty light way, a bit like a stage play. It's also a little hokey in how its investigation proceeds and it's not all that kind to the French police who seem a bit foolish, but the resolution to the mystery is excellent and hard to see coming.

The film was made when the Nazis were occupying France, so Clouzot was working for the German production company Continental Films, and undoubtedly walking a tightrope (one that would get him into trouble with his countrymen in his next film, Le Corbeau). Some critics read veiled commentary about the Nazis in aspects of the plot (e.g. a murder shot from the perspective of the killer early on, or how heavy-handed police interrogations that border on torture can elicit a false confession), but I didn't see it quite as symbolically. The possible reference to a Nazi salute is intriguing though, and regardless, it's mind-boggling to think of this light mystery being made at this point in French history.

Henry-Georges Clouzot is one my favorite French director mainly by Quai Des Orfèvres and Le Salaire de la Peur, his debut couldn't be better, it's a magnific picture, a true perfect blend of crime, thriller and sophisticated comedy, all in high profile, the plot summary is about a serial killer who was haunting Paris, he authorities are gonna crazy and that impose an ultimate to French Police department, a short time to catch this killer self-called Mr. Durant, the skillful Inspector Wess having an information of the hideout of the killer at decaying pension at bad area, he introduces himself as a Pastor hoping get some clues to reach on the killer, there are many potential suspects, between comings and goings he reach in a killer, nevertheless all fall down even in jail another crime was committed by Mr. Durant, fabulous picture and an unexpected ending!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

This film is about a series of murders all done, apparently, by someone calling themselves 'Mr. Durand'. At the scene of every murder, they leave a calling card taking credit for the killings and Inspector Wens is determined to get to the bottom of it. The trail leads to a boarding house and, with the unwelcome help of Mila, he will attempt to solve these horrible crimes.

Henri-Georges Clouzot directed some wonderful French thrillers and is one of the best directors of his age. Films like his "Le Corbeau", "Quai des Orfèvres", "Wages of Fear" and "Diabolique" are brilliant and must be seen. However, in this early film, "The Murderer Lives at Number 21" he does not show the greatness that would make him famous. It's decent--but also a bit annoying. Why annoying? Because Clouzot was wonderful with suspense but combining suspense with comedy was a big mistake--making this an enjoyable but lightweight film. I say lightweight because some of the acting is so incredibly broad that scenes with Mila (Suzy Delair) are often a bit painful. Overall, it is worth seeing--but don't expect his later brilliance.

Henri-Georges Clouzot's solo feauture-length directing debut (which he also co-wrote) was certainly an auspicious one; the film is closer to American "commercial" entertainment than to French "art" cinema, but that's not a bad thing. Lots of humor (like an early scene depicting the bureaucratic ladder of the French police), some great POV camerawork, a terrific music score that bursts out at key moments, a delightful Suzy Delair as the French equivalent of Lucille Ball, and above all a totally surprising resolution that I almost guarantee you will not guess ahead of time. Highly recommended. Only flaw: a hurried final scene. *** out of 4.