gridoon2024 Review of Marie-Octobre

Marie-Octobre (1959)

A great film - the French answer to "12 Angry Men"

[8/10 · 24 December 2017]

I just love films like this. A relatively small group of people, in one location, trying to figure out who among them is a traitor, in the course of one night. Yes, in the wrong hands they can easily become stagey or static, but in Julien Duvivier's sure hands the result is a perfect fusion of cinema and theater. The script, which is reminiscent of both "12 Angry Men" and Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", is riveting; not only does it keep you guessing all the way, but just when you think it's all over, it has more aces up its sleeve. The ending is satisfying in its own dark way. The cast is magnificent. The idea of the only background sound being the crackle of the fireplace is a brilliant one. It's a great movie, with lots of replay value. ***1/2 out of 4.