There is such atmosphere to this French noir film, which has a woman (Maria Mauban) fleeing a small town and hitching a ride to Paris on a river barge. It's a tight story told over five days, and director Henri Calef does a good job in letting the characters unfold over time. We see tension between the two men who operate the barge (the captain, played by Henri Vidal and the first mate, Daniel Ivernel) in various forms, including the mate's plan to make a little extra money by smuggling a load of alcohol. It's an interesting commentary on the male struggle with hierarchy; there are only two of them, and yet they seem to regularly butt heads, with the captain needing to assert himself even when it's unnecessary, and the mate doing passive-aggressive things in protest. Just as the barge lumbers down the narrow canals, we feel the closeness of its quarters, and perhaps the inevitability of the sexual rivalry that plays out for Mauban, even though both men are married.
Vidal is excellent, especially in the moment of truth scenes with Mauban, and I smiled when he punched out Ivernel with his forearms and elbows. Mauban is wonderful too, with great screen presence and a character whose innocence in what she's running from being questionable. Ivernel's character seems selfish and a bit of a fool, but he seems to see through her best, and there is thus nuance to each of the three principal characters. The cinematography is great, whether it's on that heavy barge or in the shadows or dappled light of the trees along the shore, and there are moments of real tension. A nice little film to find.
