Michel Auclair

  • Raffaello Matarazzo – La risaia (1956)

    1951-1960DramaItalyRaffaello Matarazzo

    In this heartwarming drama, the life of an Italian rice farmer involved in an unhappy marriage is chronicled. One day, he notices a familiar looking migrant in his field. Upon following the girl, he discovers that she is his illegitimate daughter. To quietly make up for his past indiscretion, he begins giving the girl many gifts, but he does not tell her who he is. Later the girl falls for an auto mechanic who gets jealous of her secret father’s attention to her. This causes the father to tell the mechanic the truth; the fix it man then decides to engineer a reunion. He then goes on to save the girl from getting raped by her father’s deadbeat nephew.

    (Allmovie)Read More »

  • André Cayatte – Justice est faite aka Justice Is Done (1950)

    1941-1950André CayatteClassicsDramaFrance

    Known as “Justice Is Done” in 1953 when it was first shown in the USA, it opens with a short briefing in English on the French jury system and then reverts to French with English subtitles. The Marshal summons the jury and an insight is given into the background of the seven jurors who are to decide on the guilt of the accused, a sick man’s mistress on trail for his mercy killing. The trial appears to be not presented to prove her innocence or guilt, but rather to let the court (film) philosophize on the moral acceptability of euthanasia.Read More »

  • Jean Delannoy – Maigret et l’affaire Saint-Fiacre AKA Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959)

    1951-1960CrimeFranceJean DelannoyMystery

    Synopsis:
    Inspector Maigret returns to his home town and is reminiscing over his past when he receives a call for help from the Duchess of Saint-Fiacre. She has just received an anonymous letter informing her that she will soon die. A short while later she does indeed die, from a heart attack. Convinced that she was murdered, Maigret begins his investigation…
    – Films de FranceRead More »

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