With a few exceptions ("l'affaire Crazy Capo") ,Maurice Ronet 's parts in the seventies were mediocre compared to those of both previous decades ("ascenseur pour l'échafaud" "plein soleil" "le feu follet " "la femme infidèle" "la piscine" ); this is perhaps the reason why he began to direct his own movies.("Bartleby " is an ambitious work)
The intentions were praise -worthy :to denounce the segregationist movement in the US and the power of the infamous tabloids was certainly a
commendable issue ; but the screenplay is unfocussed , the pictures cowardly "risqué ",and the cast is badly directed: Raymond Pellegrin overplays,Tanya Lopert's performance is abysmal , Josephine Chaplin ,then partner of the principal ,insignificant and bland, and why the hell did the great De Sica get involved in that business? The way the gays are ridiculed is absolutely unbearable , but what can you expect from Balducci ,a third-rate director who made coarse comedies by the dozen?
Ronet 's part is unworthy of his talent ; his character remains smug , unpleasant and macho,even when he "redeems " himself in the last part ; as for the "director" , one cannot help but feel a certain self-indulgence when he films the orgies, the -extremely violent - beating-ups ,and the binges. Ludicrous ending.
