LA VERITE/ The Truth (1960) Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. ***
Henri-Georges Clouzot is rightly remembered for his three great films, THE CROW, WAGES OF FEAR and THE FIENDS but this later work, while not in the same class, is of considerable interest. Brigitte Bardot, in a stronger dramatic performance than usual, plays a girl on trial for murdering her former lover. That she is guilty is not in question but the reason why is the truth that needs to be revealed. Clouzot carefully manipulates our perception of the characters as the story slowly unravels in flashback. It would be easy to name Billy Wilder's WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION and Alfred Hitchcock's PARADINE CASE as precursors but the film that constantly sprang to mind was a later film, Nicolas Roeg's BAD TIMING. Bardot is fine in the lead but the greatest pleasure, for me, were the performances of those two fine actors Paul Meurisse and Charles Vanel (respectively the corpse and the detective from THE FIENDS) as the opposing councils. Recommended. A free download from You Tube.
Henri-Georges Clouzot's LA VERITE (Watch now)
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