Jean-Louis Barrault (Ferriter) plays a very strange journalist with so-called puritanical beliefs although he may just be covering up his sexual inadequacies. He spends the film trying to justify to himself his action of killing a prostitute and exploring his motivations. He is a nutcase. Police investigator Pierre Fresnay (Lavan) knows there is something very suspicious about this weirdo freak journalist and bides his time whilst acquiring evidence that will allow him to make an arrest.
The problem with the film is that Barrault is completely unlikable and so we have nobody to identify with. He sort of minces around in the film and it doesn't help that he looks similar to Kenneth Williams, the campest of Carry On actors, and also has similar mannerisms - "Ooh, matron..!" He also acts in a confusingly moronic way that continually points the finger of guilt towards himself by vocalizing his dislike of the victim and of prostitutes in general. Even a 3-year-old detective would be able to deduce "Well, he did it".
A pretty dumb film and a bit too stagey, especially at the beginning. The most interesting parts of the film involve friendly hooker Viviane Romance (Molly) but even then, things defy belief. In reality she would have just taken his money and not entertained any further use of her time with him.
The problem with the film is that Barrault is completely unlikable and so we have nobody to identify with. He sort of minces around in the film and it doesn't help that he looks similar to Kenneth Williams, the campest of Carry On actors, and also has similar mannerisms - "Ooh, matron..!" He also acts in a confusingly moronic way that continually points the finger of guilt towards himself by vocalizing his dislike of the victim and of prostitutes in general. Even a 3-year-old detective would be able to deduce "Well, he did it".
A pretty dumb film and a bit too stagey, especially at the beginning. The most interesting parts of the film involve friendly hooker Viviane Romance (Molly) but even then, things defy belief. In reality she would have just taken his money and not entertained any further use of her time with him.