Assassini della domenica

Saturday in a small village in the mountains in France, a german young couple has stopped to repair their Mercedes in a garage held by Jean-Marc Thibault. A business man drives very fast in the country and his motor breaks down, he arrives at this same garage and urges the owner to repair all night his motor. Early in the morning, the german couple leaves the village in their Mercedes without knowing the repair isn't finished. And from now, hell begins for the garage owner, everybody's against him though he isn't entirely responsible for this negligence that can be rapidly fatal. There are a lot of important scenes in all the major places of the village, café des sports, church, bike shop, bike racing in the streets, garages, local police... with all the picturesque characters of the village with crunchy dialogues. There is a lot of suspense with the Mercedes sequences, about what kind of road she's driving on? This original movie deals with dangerous speed on the road and responsabilities after a negligence. Lots of twists in this little known gem from talented Alex Joffé. Jean-Marc Thibault is touching in the character of the tortured garage owner, his scene with his kid at the police is so moving. Unforgettable. This movie is to be shown to kids so they learn about responsability..

Alex Joffé's career is overlooked today and however ,most of his films are interesting :"Six Heures A Perdre" has an unexpected final twist,which was not common in 1946,"FOrtunat' and "Pas Question Le Samedi "display a friendly look at the Jews ;"Les Fanatiques" is a suspenseful disaster movie before the seventies trend ,and all happens in real time.

Unity of time is also present in "Les Assassins Du Dimanche",the action of which takes place in about 24 hours .

A garage owner (Jean -Marc Thibault,cast against type,for he is known as a comic actor) has to repair a German couple's Mercedes;alas they leave before the mechanic and his apprentice over-tighten the nuts of the steering rod.

The suspense is purely psychological:no real "assassin" ,but an average man's reaction to an event which may cause a tragedy;panic-stricken ,the garage owner lies to his apprentice (played by Young Georges Poujouly,known around the world as the boy in 'Jeux Interdits" (= forbidden games))but it does not fool the youngster a single minute;his self-interested unscrupulous brother tries to buy his wife off.The Office Catholique Du Cinema" praised the movie:the positive intervention of the priest fits well in the screenplay,particularly in the scene in the police station,where the mechanic's little boy brings a whole lot of emotion.

Joffé does not blame the German driver straight out;and nevertheless ,we feel that his driving at a dizzying speed -at a time when there was no speed limit!-,and his careless attitude -and those of his passengers- are as dangerous for the others as the threatening nut;his pictures ,without a voice over ,show that he does not approve of these would be ace drivers doing so.

"Les Assassins Du Dimanche" deals with responsibility,a subject with is still relevant today;give it a chance.