Pursued by the police, Saget usurps the identity of a man who was returning to his town after having made his fortune in the United States. Under this new name, he deceives his compatriots with the exception of a doctor and the savage Isabelle. During an explanation Saget understands that Isabelle secretly admires him. She denounces him and Saget surrenders without a fight. Thus he ruins all his prestige with the young Amazon.
Acting
Fresnay's oily charm masking total emptiness
Direction
Decoin's shadowy small-town claustrophobia
Writing
Isabelle's feral desire vs. polite society's rot
Director
Henri Decoin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during France's post-war reckoning, the film channels national anxiety about collaborators who reinvented themselves while others stayed 'savage' and true.
Andrée Clément was dubbed 'the French Bette Davis' for this role; she died tragically young, making this her most haunting performance.
FR
