Per una notte d'amore

Greville in my opinion was not a great film maker, but arguably in ' Passionnelle ' (UK title and given an X certificate in its uncut release) he made a film that I certainly would call a masterpiece, and it should be more well-known than it is. Odette Joyeux is extraordinary in it as a disturbed young woman with sadistic tendencies who murders easily and then half-heartily repents and gets a young man to dispose of the murdered man's body and offers her body as repayment. Based on a Zola short story called ' For One Night of Love ' it does the writer justice. End of spoilers. So why is it so fine a film? The almost Gothic atmosphere is well maintained and the casting of Roger Blin as Julien the 'innocent ' helper who truly loves her was a stroke of genius. His bizarrely beautiful face carries every emotion, and then some, and the use of close ups is incredible, both of Joyeux and of him. It also made me think of Astruc's ' The Crimson Curtain ' made a few years later and again another ' lost ' film. For viewers to judge for themselves if they can find both films.

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