User Reviews

1959...The nouvelle vague is striking.A bunch of young turks is yelling that old fogey gotta go.Among them,the most despised of them all,Jean Delannoy.It will become hip to put disparagement over the par excellence "academic" director.Make way for us ,Godard,Truffaut,Resnais et al!

"Maigret et l'affaire Saint-Fiacre" has worn superbly well.It was restored to favor by French critic Jacques Lacourcelles,ten years ago,quite rightly so.Delannoy may not be an auteur,in the sense of the word you generally admit,but he is a wonderful story teller.He hides behind his characters,he is not a genius of the seven art,but he is a genuine craftsman for sure.

George Simenon's novel,which includes hints at Maigret's childhood is first-rate and Michel Audiard's dialogues are often very funny (There's nothing more to take in this mansion,but the 12.15 train).The black and white cinematography is very effective,and depicts a world collapsing:the fallen aristocracy's represented by an old noble lady with a fondness for gigolos (A moving Valentine Tessier) and her spineless and cynical offspring (Michel Auclair,one of the best actors of his generation).She is killed,in a church during a service ,and Maigret (proof positive that Jean Gabin had great parts after the golden thirties era)investigates.The climax of the movie is the final diner :the captain gathers all his suspects and it's time for rancour and hate between all these men revolving round a once shining now fading star.

A strange feeling of nostalgia lingers after the last shots.Down with the nouvelle vague,and give M.Delannoy the respect he deserves!

Yes, Delannoy was kicked around quite a bit by those young Cahiers critics, some of whom went on to make stodgy films themselves (if I have to watch another soporific Chabrol "thriller", I may give up movies altogether). Delannoy was a solid craftsman who gave us two blond deities in Jean Marais and Madeleine Sologne (wonderful L'Eternel retour), and the gorgeous, although sightless blue eyes of Michele Morgan in La symphonie pastorale. That picture opened up new vistas of sexuality for me.

But a craftsman can only do so much. There is a lack of focus here, the result of some bad casting. Some of the acting is atrocious: Robert Hirsch as the art expert Sabatier, one of the prime suspects, is always on the verge of hysterics. Michel Vitold as the priest gives off guilty vibes, although he hasn't done anything. Only Valentine Tessier and Michel Auclair, playing mother and son, rise to the occasion. Tessier and Gabin have a delightful scene together at the opening, talking about the old days in their little town. Auclair is especially good as the corrupt heir to a declining fortune; he looks like he stepped out of a Rococo painting.

Maigret et l'affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959) is a riveting adaptation of Georges Simenon's classic detective novel, featuring the enigmatic and perceptive Inspector Jules Amedee Francois Maigret. Directed by Jean Delannoy, this French crime drama is a compelling blend of suspense, intrigue, and nostalgia.

Jean Gabin, reprising his role as Inspector Maigret, delivers a remarkable performance that captures the essence of Simenon's literary character. His astute portrayal of the detective's keen observational skills and unruffled demeanor is captivating and authentic. Gabin's nuanced acting adds depth to Maigret's character, making him both relatable and admirable.

The film's plot revolves around Maigret's return to his hometown of Saint-Fiacre to investigate a mysterious death threat against the local Countess. The story unravels as a complex web of secrets, betrayals, and hidden motives, keeping the viewer engaged and guessing until the very end. Delannoy's direction skillfully navigates the various twists and turns of the plot, ensuring that the pacing remains tight and suspenseful throughout.

The supporting cast, including Michel Auclair as Inspector Cadavre and Valentine Tessier as the Countess, deliver outstanding performances that elevate the film's overall quality. Their portrayals of the diverse array of characters are convincing and well-developed, enriching the story's depth and intrigue.

The cinematography, by Louis Page, is both atmospheric and picturesque, capturing the beauty and melancholy of the rural French countryside. The film's score by Paul Misraki complements the story's moody ambiance, enhancing the overall experience.

One minor drawback of the film is its reliance on a slower pace and understated action, which may not appeal to all viewers. However, this pacing choice effectively allows for the intricate character development and immersive atmosphere that are hallmarks of Simenon's novels.

Overall, Maigret et l'affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959) is a masterful adaptation of Georges Simenon's classic detective tale. With its superb performances, engaging plot, and evocative cinematography, it is a must-watch for fans of the Maigret series and crime dramas alike. While it may not be for everyone, those who appreciate a well-crafted, atmospheric mystery will find this film to be a rewarding experience.

"The day of judgement has arrived. You will die by the end of the Ash Wednesday service." An anonymous letter sent to an ageing Countess (Valentine Tessier) sees the formidable commissaire Maigret (Jean Gabin), the woman's old friend, take an afternoon train to the small village of Saint-Fiacre where he was born, son of the Count's faithful estate manager. "We could never find an estate manager as good. Whenever something went wrong, the Count would say: 'Back in Maigret's day'."

The reunion between Maigret and the Countess results in one of the most touching and beautiful scenes I've ever seen as the old woman yearning for her youth and a man still haunted by it take a long car ride from the train station to the village. "For your wedding, there were tables out on the grass." "I could smell your cologne a mile away." "You were wearing a white dress with flowers." And so on, and so on...

I have never quite seen anyone capture the sadness for lost youth as vividly and hauntingly as Jean Delannoy does in "Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case". The whole film is tinged with nostalgia as Maigret returns to the village of his childhood, the village where he lived with his father, the village his father died in, the village he left his innocence in. Uncharacteristically for the tough policeman, he still sees the village through rose-tinted glasses. He notices only the things that are the same. One gets the impression he is moving with his eyes closed, feeling his way around the Saint Fiacre of his memories.

There's another wonderfully touching scene in which Maigret visits the shop he frequented as a child and finds the same old shopkeeper still working there. "Can I help you, sir," Marie Tatin (Gabrielle Fontan) asks him. "Three pennyworths of candy, Madame Tatin," Maigret replies. It is shocking how quickly this rough-and-tumble rugged man can revert to a knee-high child when overcome with memories. In fact, Jean Gabin is simply superb throughout the film, getting a chance to show a more emotional, wistful side to his tough-guy persona.

And yet, everything has changed and aged and even the nostalgic Maigret will eventually have to come face to face with that fact. The grandiose chateau Maigret remembers as a palace to rival Versaille is now a shadow of its former self. The Countess has sold off most of its contents to pay for the reckless lifestyle of her playboy son Maurice (Michel Auclair). Production designer René Renoux made a masterstroke when designing the chateau set by having all the walls imprinted by outlines of paintings that once hung there. It is a stark reminder that the good old days are gone forever.

Maigret begins recognising this fact by observing the behaviour of the people around him. He is shocked into reality by the way the Countess is treated by her staff, the way the village doctor doesn't bother covering the Countess' chest when examining her heart, and the way the Countess' secretaire (Robert Hirsch) walks around the chateau as if he owns it. As he realizes that, in the words of Thomas Wolfe, you can never go home again, he becomes all the more protective of his memories, going so far as to move to strike a man for saying a bad word about the late Count.

There's a murder in "Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case", of course, but it is far less interesting than the emotional underpinning of the film. It is clearly what fascinated Delannoy and it is the aspect of the film he handles the best. The mystery plot, on the other hand, feels a bit like an afterthought and that is where the film falters.

Unlike the previous Delannoy-Gabin Maigret film "Maigret Sets a Trap", this sequel features a fairly run-of-the-mill plot though involving one of the most diabolical murder weapons I have ever seen. Sadly, the suspects are not as interesting as the ones in the previous film and the conclusion doesn't generate nearly as much suspense and drama.

All the performances are good but besides Gabin and Tessier no one stands out in particular. This is in no small part because their characters are essentially Agatha Christie stereotypes: the priest, the playboy, the hothead etc. There are no attempts on anyone's part to make them as three-dimensional or as complex as their counterparts from "Maigret Sets a Trap". This is a shame.

Whenever the film deals with its Proustian themes of lost youth and nostalgia it is truly a masterpiece. Sadly, these interludes become fewer and farther between as the murder plot sets in motion. Consequently, the film is merely an above-average thriller. This is, of course, no small feat but seeing how great Gabin is and how well Delannoy builds the atmosphere of sadness and decay makes me yearn for a film that would have focused entirely on Maigret's return to the village of his childhood. I enjoyed "Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case" immensely but it had the potential of being a masterpiece had it not been dragged down by a run-of-the-mill murder mystery.

In Jean Delannoy's "Maigret and the St Fiacre Affair", second cinematic adaptation starring Jean Gabin as the iconic detective, we're taken from the shadowy and menacing streets of Montmartre by night to the more bucolic and colorful Provence, a change of scenery, but not of scenario.

St Fiacre is a fictional village basking in its monotonous routine, spared by the corruptive rollercoaster of modernity, a village where the local aristocrat or the priest are emblematic and influential figures and like the church or the city council, where every place goes by one: one grocery shop, one bank, one church, one nightclub. That's St Fiacre, hidden in the middle of France's hinterland, as ordinary as any small village in France, but not that insignificant a place in the heart of Maigret for this is where he spent his childhood, as the son of the castle steward.

Maigret in Saint Fiacre is like Uncle Scrooge revisiting the McDuck castle, without the family connection. Not a blue blood but a playful little lad whose blue eyes and blonde little face didn't get unnoticed by the then younger Countess. The woman, (Valentine Teissier) now a widow, requested Maigret to come visit her after receiving a threat letter, saying she will be dead before the end of Sunday's religious office. The tone of the letter is so definite that we know it will happen for the sake of a story and this is why the first scene plays like a soothing and comforting memory-recalling moment, a little slice of sunshine before the first breezes announcing the storm.

And so the older Jules is visiting the castle of his childhood that lost its past splendor, pretending to be a painting collector, a passable cover to identify the first cover. He notices the intriguing influence the priest (Michel Vitold) has on the chatelain, smelling something that goes beyond religious bigotry, he has a talk with Lucien (Robert Hirsch) the young secretary whose disastrous management indicates that he's either incompetent or malevolent; and there's also the gruff and disagreeable chauffeur (Jacques Marais), perhaps the closest to a comic relief with Dr. Bouchardon (Paul Frankeur), an old friend of good old Jules.

That little palette of personalities paints the first shades of doubt and defiance in the meticulous mind of Maigret and the atmosphere is quite heavy-loaded during that first night where he loses track of the number of guests and visits the Countess has (for medicine or something else). We can feel the Grim Reaper hovering around the head of the poor woman and it is so ominous that her death is actually a deliverance, the tone is set and the investigation can start.

And so the news spread very quickly, taking us to the next aisle of the characters gallery: the spoiled son, Maurice (Michel Auclair) a young and idle annuitant, a playboy who enjoys the status and the money and holds a grudge against Lucien. The circle widens to other players such as Gautier the new steward (Camille Guérini) and his son Emile (Serge Rousseau), a promising and cooperative bank clerk. Yes, it's that kind of movies where the performances of the supporting cast are as integral to the enjoyment as the lead. And as the interactions go on, we smell a potential suspect in everyone but there's never a clear hint given.

For instance, the three younger men are found in the same nightclub when Gabin goes for one of his introspective walks, the only place that could justify that one would leave the castle late provides three suspects. Another hint involves the real weapon of the crime, but anyone is in position to have pulled that kind of triggered. The film shows again Maigret at his finest, testing people, not only spotting their flaws and weaknesses but determine which weakness would make for the strongest motive.

Unlike the previous "Maigret Sets a Trap" where the suspects were given, this time we're taken in a waltz of interpretations and false tracks, in situations where everyone is partially responsible for the death of the Countess but as the representative of the Law, Maigret states very clearly that he's looking for instant guilt, not responsibility. And so the film takes us to a final climax where every suspect is reunited in the same dinner table and with the crime weapon, Maigret decides to trick the killer à la Columbo (forgive the anachronism).

It's not the twist that works but the way Maigret seems to handle the investigation as a pro although he was affected by the murder, but because it's personal, he knows he must lay his cards carefully or the suspect might slip under his net, he's toying with his instinct and his determination to find the killer. One strikes as the most potential suspect but he's too weak or too convenient a killer to be such a Macchiavellian mastermind.

And Gabin's performance is a masterstroke of sobriety, of contempt toward these corrupt little people hiding behind his down-to-earth façade. He realizes the same mediocrity and deterioration of moral values and principles in these last remains of the old order. But Gabin downplays his anger to better implode it once the killer is revealed. And ironically, his final rant is perhaps the second relief in the film, not only justice will be done, but he can finally drops the investigator's mask and let the man express his rage and avenge the honor and life of the Countess who meant so much.