User Reviews

One doesn't read Simenon's Maigret mysteries simply for setup, epiphanous moment, and denouement. I would say the same is true of watching this series. Getting to and finding out "Who did it?" matters, yes, but only a bit. The best parts are the lingering moments in between. This is certainly true of "Lock No. 1," in which we experience as perfect a realization of a Maigret novel as I can imagine. It begins with an attempted murder of a businessman, but not just any businessman. This one, Ducrau (played by Jean Yanne), owns many of the nearby buildings and businesses. He is cold to his family and ruthless in his business dealings. He shows disdain for his wife and children (both grown) and for those who work for him. Still, there are soft spots, barely perceptible but they are there. By the end of the film there will be a suicide and a murder. But are these crimes related, and if not, then who is guilty of each crime?

The novel upon which this episode is based is a bit more dense than other Maigret mysteries, and I say that as an observation, not a criticism. Past incidents are alluded to, some described, but nothing is ever completely clear. Not all the loose threads are woven back together. As for the film, some things in the novel are left out and some past events are slightly modified, but this doesn't weaken the film. Melancholy pervades every scene. And speaking of scenes . . . There is one during which a man, sitting in a jail cell while lacing his shoes, tells of an incident 20 years prior, a story of the birth of a child. It is as beautifully acted a scene as I've ever seen in a TV movie. I won't forget it, and neither will you.

(By the way, In Simenon's Maigret stories, Maigret's assistants change with some being given more prominence than others in different books. Those assistants include Lucas, LaPointe, Torrence, and Janvier, among others. The filmmakers have decidedly clearly to compress the actions of multiple assistants into one or two in most episodes. I seldom have found this to be an issue. Compression of characters, dialogue, and timelines often occur-understandable so-in the transfer of novel to film.)

Just saw this on the Talking Pictures channel (UK old films and TV). They've also just started re-running the entire 4 series of the Rupert Davies version, BBC, early 60s.

This French version has a slow pace (nearly 2 hours), and that allows a lot of time (too much?) for lingering thoughtful looks and pauses.

Maigret is well characterised, matching the book description, but this version (made in Prague for locations) hardly ever features trusty aide Lucas -- who I don't recall being absent from any of the books?!

This story features an attack, on a businessman who'd come from being a canal worker, now runs boats and other firms, has a family, a mistress, and who's that odd mostly silent girl on his friend's barge??

The director has to portray the man as being nasty enough to have many people who might want to do him in, but also popular as the biggest local employer, and forgiven for being a womaniser of many affairs.

Soon there is an actual death, his rather feeble son commits suicide, and leaves a note saying he had tried to kill his father. Maigret doesn't believe a word of it, but the man won't talk about who his attacker had been (and had stabbed him).

A day or two later, and a further death, the lock-keeper's son, who'd avoided talking much to Maigret, he's also hanging -- but what is that bang he had on the head?

Soon Maigret knows what happened, who the girl really is, who'd fathered her child (widely thought to be the businessman), why she was on a boat that never went anywhere, and why the son had owned up to a crime he didn't commit. So, he got to the bottom of the attack, and the 2 deaths, but he might a well have got to the bottom of the Seine, for all most viewers might care?

Most of the characters are quite unlikeable, and well before the end I'd nodded off, but on waking I didn't care that much who had 'dunnit'. Doubtless other episodes will be better, but this one to us was a clunker.