La notte del peccato

This movie was so ahead of its time! Thinking of how it was released in the 60s and portraying the "weaknesses" and "faults" of human nature in such a raw and honest way remind us that sometimes it is good to look into the past to find the future. Lilli Palmer in her performance is extraordinary. Her character is not one that we should like but rather pity or relate to in a way. Having watched several of her movies I believe that there could be no character that Mrs. Palmer could not tackle! Her performance here as the cold, sadistic, desperate for all consuming passion and love middle aged married woman is so on point that it steals the scene from the tragic couple of Paul and Angele.

In my opinion the cast of the movie is beautiful although Marie Laforet was not convincing throughout the movie.

The cinematography is superb and the music adds to the drama of this film.

I think it's a classic and should not be missed.

This is one extremely intense film about lust and the dangers of its pursuit. Louis Jourdan is given one of his many chances to truly act, and he is superb. He does not merely "coo in a woman's ear," as he put it. The Prince Dino effect is shattered. He portrays a married man whose lust for a young laundress--and prostitute--destroys him. Jourdan is reunited with Lilli Palmer, his co-star in the light-hearted 1948 film "No Minor Vices." Her character's husband is one of the prostitute's regular customers; she develops a lust for Jourdan's character. Her life, too, is destroyed. The young prostitute loves Jourdan's character even after he attacks her. In the end, her life is also in shambles. This is tragedy at its finest. Brilliant.

No I have not seen it yet but I have been looking for it for years. This 1962 French feature stars my favorite actress Miss Lilli Palmer and Louis Jourdan in their second film, the first being NO MINOR VICES in the late 1940s in Hollywood also starring Dana Andrews. Dark Journey, as Leviathan is called in English, also features several top French film actors of the period including George Wilson, Madeleine Robinson and a young Marie La Foret who also became a popular singer and still alive. For some reason this movie has been out of circulation for years and never released on a cassette or on DVD before now.. I believe it has not shown on French T.V. either for years. Miss Palmer was an international star, working in French, English and German and on the stage and television as well for some 50 years. An underrated actress and beauty, one of the screen's most cultivated, intelligent and charming ladies; She had a son with one time husband Rex Harrison, Carey. He lives in New York and is a friend of mine. I will review the movie again here once the DVD comes out.. This is just to let you know it is now available.

In the main cinematographic countries, the 60's gave birth to new kind of movies, dark and insane shockers. And "Léviathan" is an incredible and weird story of a handsome man falling off the edge of the mind for perverse love. And Louis Jourdan is amazing being so mad. And this madness is perfectly shot by Nicolas Hayer ("le Doulos", "le Corbeau", "Orphée", "Panique", ...), creating a very precise cinematography capturing every detail, the editing is also inventive. If you like Orson Welles style, this one is for you.

Thanks to the courageous editor who released this crazy dark unknown french treasure, releasing also another masterpiece by Léonard Keigel, "la Dame de Pique". And above all, thanks to DD who tipped me on this unkown french gem.

In this remarkable movie, based upon Julian Green's novel, we follow Paul's downfall as he is torn between his love for Angele, a local prostitute, as he finds out too late, and Madame Grosgeorge's love for him. In this story of frustration, boredom and the "pangs of unrequited love", three actresses are quite outstanding: Madeleine Robinson as Madame Londe, Angele's procurer, Lili Palmer as Paul's middle-aged employer and Marie Laforêt as the unforgettable linen maid. In the novel, Paul is supposed to be plain, poor and unattractive, whereas in the movie, Louis Jourdan seems to stand as the Latin lover. How can we believe that Angèle should reject such a handsome man ? This is probably the only discrepancy to be found in the movie, which has not been shown on French television for at least twenty years. What a pity !