For the Decoin's movies buff , the golden hour comes to an end with "La vérité sur Bébé Donge" . None of his movies from 1952 on can match the brilliance of his glorious film noir era .
Although both deal with love/hatred , this Stendahl story was perhaps not the adequate follow-up to "la vérité sur Bébé Donge" ;his film noir flair extraordinaire surfaces only occasionally : the scenes near the gallows, with black humor ,a permanent feature of the director (the hangman showing his assistant how to make a slipknot ) and the impressive final ,the only moment when Decoin is up to his usual standards .
The story takes place in Spain ,but the political context remains very vague ,and it is often boiled down to a cops and robbers story.
Plot: Fernando ,a rebel ,is in love with the beautiful Inès ,but the police head covets her too. To save her fiancé, she accepts to marry this powerful Don Blas ; knowing that she only feels contempt for him,he does not consummate the marriage .When Fernando reappears , tragedy awaits around the corner.(hence the alternate title : the former lover comes back and he hides in a trunk).
Alida Valli is extremely beautiful but her part is derivative ; so are talented Pedro Armendariz's and Gerard Landry's .Besides , the screenplay is repetitive.Melodrama lovers can have a look , weren't in only for the actors.
Filmed on location.
