Un testigo en la ciudad

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)

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.

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").

When he found out his gun had no bullets the killer showed him they were in his hand and asked him to hand over the empty gun, he just concurred without any resistance. I don't think a guy like him in that situation would not try to desperately fight for his life, but instead, he just stood there like a moron, trying to explain and begging for mercy. The killer stood sideways to this guy without any concern if the guy would have tried to fight for his life, he just slowly put the bullets back into the chamber. This ridiculous scene and scenario could only happen in a badly scripted screenplay not in a realistic world. When I watched this absurd scene, I had to quit watching to avoid brain damage.

Faking suicide, a playboy industrialist (Jacques Berthier)calculatingly murders his mistress, and the victim's husband (Lino Ventura) equally pitiless revenge excitingly engenders an increasingly desperate sortie through the crepuscular streets of Paris. Director Édouard Molinaro's electric, stunning invocation of moody gallic noir makes for extraordinarily compelling cinema, maestro Henri Decae's ominously shadow-slaked photography draws you deeply into Molinaro's mesmerisingly monochromatic milieu of midnight misanthropy.

Razor-edged cat-and-mouse crime thriller 'Witness in The City' is honed to deadly efficacy, the bulk of the film's undeniable allure due solely to magnetic film icon Lino Ventura's steely charisma. Granted, I am massively biased, since Lino Ventura is one my favourite actors, but, in my opinion, no one stalked the dingy backstreets of not-so-gay Paris with the inimitable rigour of Mr. Ventura! The thrilling performances, exquisite, frequently dynamic film making, and exemplary text strongly suggests Witness in The City be witnessed by all those who savour superlative genre film making.