Der Mörder kam um Mitternacht

Having cut his teeth on 'Le dos au mur' and 'Les femmes disparaissent', both of which are 'interesting', Edouard Molinaro impresses with this excellent revenge thriller adapted from the novel of the splendid duo Boileau and Narcejac. Oodles of atmospheric night scenes here and who better to create them than cinematographer Henri Decae. Molinaro has also enlisted as composer the tenor saxophonist Barney Wilens who collaborated with Miles Davis on 'l'ascenseur pour l'echaffaud'. The editing by Robert and Monique Isnardon is especially effective. This also marks the first major role for Lino Ventura who had been steadily climbing the ranks since being discovered by Jacques Becker. Apparently he was offered the choice of playing the assassin or the taxi-driving witness and his decision to play the former proved to be an astute career move. He is simply superlative in the role of a man who exacts revenge for the murder of his wife but thereby embarks on a course from which there is no return. The hunter becomes the hunted and Ventura succeeds in evincing our sympathy. The part of the witness went to Franco Fabrizzi and that of his girlfriend to the always appealing Sandra Milo. Other performances to note are those of Robert Dalban and Micheline Luccione. The milieu, routine and camaraderie of the taxi drivers are wonderfully depicted and the final chase sequence is thrilling. The history of cinema is littered with films whose promise on paper failed to be realised on screen but here everything gels to produce a tense and gripping piece which is an absolute must for devotees of Film Noir.

Excellent, very entertaining cat-and-mouse thriller, as an avenging husband (the incomparable Lino Ventura) tries to kill a witness to a murder. In its spare monochrome Decae photography, cool jazz soundtrack, nocturnal settings, focus on elaborate plot mechanics, and privileging of an unlovely outsider, the film is reminiscent of Melville. The 'villain' is only responding to a vicious circle of transgression and injustice, and his plight becomes an allegory for the lonely outsider locked out of a conformist society. The rigorous purity of Melville's aesthetic is softened by romance and comedy, but these only intensify the sense of impending tragedy.

On late fifties the Italian descendant Lino Ventura was paving a solid career at French cinema, at this period he already could choose some roles offered, so to keep his persona intact playing an assassin he asking for the screenwriters humanize Ancelin as we can certify in several sequences, thus audience get sympathy for the ill-fated husband who drew up a foolproof plan to punish his wife's lover after the justice release him of judgement over a premeditated killing throwing her off the moving train, however as old saying states there's no prefect crime, so an unexpected detail as a phone call asking for a cab ends up putting a witness at crime scene, so Ancelin has to hurry up to silence the unluck taxi driver.

Edouard Molinaro enforces a tireless chase thru the night at Paris streets, that provide a perfect bleak atmosphere and backdrops in several spots including the iconic metro, cheap hotel, Parisian Cafés and burlesque ambience as well, all this allied in well-structure screenplay devised by the clever trio Boileau-Narcejac-Oury with low conversation that pleased Ventura plenty, so the thrilling story holds the viewers on the chair waiting what's comes next often cheering on Ancelin somehow, gripping Polar stained in noirish style.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2025 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5.

While leaving the scene of his crime, a murderer encounters a cab driver who will be able to identify him. For the rest of the film, the killer hunts down the driver, who becomes a character in the story.

No spoilers for this one, with terrific driving sequences and chases in night-time Paris and some colorful characters. Ventura--who must act without much dialog--is very good, as are Franco Fabrizzi and Sandra Milo (both of whom appear significantly in Fellini films)

This is really a minor work,but which retains a certain passé charm.The main asset of the movie is Henri Decae's cinematography ,as dazzling as usual.All the night scenes are impressive,the taxis gathering for the chase,the zoological garden with its nocturnal birds ,watching the fighting between the two men.

The screenplay is somewhat disappointing,coming for two writers of Boileau-Narcejac calibre(Vertigo,les diaboliques).There are few surprises,unexpected twists,the Boileau-Narcejac trademarks .The very first scene shows Hitchcock's influence ("shadow of a doubt").Lino Ventura is cast against type because he rarely plays the villains.

Perhaps which is to Molinaro's credit is his depiction of the taxi drivers.From their breakfast at dawn in the bistros where they enjoy coffee and croissants to the rooms where the operators send their messages to the drivers,these are charming vignettes of old Paris at the beginning of general De Gaulle mandate.

Edouard Molinaro's best film remains "la mort de Belle"(1963).His career is essentially commercial,the likes of "la cage aux folles" and "l'emmerdeur" (which was to become Billy Wilder's "buddy buddy").