Jugez-les bien

Wow! This French thriller had me on the edge of my seat. The film begins behind the closed doors of a jury room where the members are arguing about the fate of a man who strangled his wife in a jealous rage. The room is split between the guillotine and ten years hard labor until one juror, Cassel (played brilliantly by Paul Frankeur), convinces his peers to acquit the guilty man by appealing to their emotions, asking each one, "Would you have done the same thing if you were in his shoes?"

Richard, the wife strangler, is now free and walking along a lonely beach where he spies an attractive skinny-dipping flight attendant, Dany (played by the beautiful Magali Vendeuil). He works his boyish charms on her and before you know it, they're making plans to marry. Dany is unaware of Richard's past but that changes quickly as her father turns out to be Cassel, the forgiving juror, and he reveals to her Richard's secret. Dany pauses for a few seconds and decides to marry Richard anyway.

As a wedding gift, Dany's friends give her a canary in a bird cage which is pretty much the harbinger for the rest of the film; Dany is secluded away above a dingy gas station that was gifted to Richard. The gas station is on a lonely stretch of highway were few travelers stop. Even seclusion doesn't lessen Richard's insane jealousy as he melts down when anyone happens to glance at his bride.

Despite Richard's insane jealously, Dany loves him unconditionally but he's too blind to see it. Richard works himself up to a deadly fervor. Can Dany survive Richard's wraith? Hunt down this classic and find out for yourselves.

Superb directorial duties by actor, Rager Saltel elevate this film above a simple crime drama. Double Verdict was the first of only two films Saltel directed and that's a shame because Double Verdict is a suspenseful film with not a wasted frame. Another surprise to me, after I checking her IMDb filmography, was that Magali Vendeuil, who played Dany, only had twelve film credits to her name, yet, appeared in films every ten years for five decades (1952 to 1996).

If you are a film noir or Hitchcock fan, this little 1961 French thriller will give you plenty of darkness and chills. I highly recommend it.