One of the owners/managers of a theatre dies as a result of a bad fall. His business partner says that he witnessed it all and that the fall was accidental : both he and the victim were inspecting part of the interior roof structure that needed repairing, when the victim became unwell and dizzy. Some weeks later the witness (or is it "witness" ?) is accused of murder, in an anonymous letter...
This "noir" does contain all the elements of the genre : lies, lust, betrayal, suspicion, and so on. It also contains a classic femme fatale, in the person of a very young Jeanne Moreau, who looks superb in formal opera garb or in fur coats that must have obliterated whole species of felines. (The costumes are exquisite.) Considered as a thriller or mystery, however, "Les intrigantes" isn't all that riveting : I thought it began with a pleasantly dark atmosphere, built up a nice head of steam, and then petered out. The denouement at the end had a certain "well, duh" quality about it.
The movie also contains one of the most boring escapes from a psychiatric asylum ever seen. The asylum is a pretty liberal place and patients are allowed to wander all over the beautiful park and garden. During one of his bracing walks, a patient discovers that there is gap somewhere in the wall or hedge. Later he escapes - are you ready for it ? - by walking towards the gap, stepping into the street, and walking up to the train station. And there he takes the train ! The cunning !
Still, "Les intrigantes" has its moments. The viewer gets to watch the behind-the-scenes work in a theatre, complete with quarrels, temperamental outbursts and rehearsals : there is even some kind of play within a play, what with Greek godlings and nymphs dancing and prancing and reciting bad lines.
This "noir" does contain all the elements of the genre : lies, lust, betrayal, suspicion, and so on. It also contains a classic femme fatale, in the person of a very young Jeanne Moreau, who looks superb in formal opera garb or in fur coats that must have obliterated whole species of felines. (The costumes are exquisite.) Considered as a thriller or mystery, however, "Les intrigantes" isn't all that riveting : I thought it began with a pleasantly dark atmosphere, built up a nice head of steam, and then petered out. The denouement at the end had a certain "well, duh" quality about it.
The movie also contains one of the most boring escapes from a psychiatric asylum ever seen. The asylum is a pretty liberal place and patients are allowed to wander all over the beautiful park and garden. During one of his bracing walks, a patient discovers that there is gap somewhere in the wall or hedge. Later he escapes - are you ready for it ? - by walking towards the gap, stepping into the street, and walking up to the train station. And there he takes the train ! The cunning !
Still, "Les intrigantes" has its moments. The viewer gets to watch the behind-the-scenes work in a theatre, complete with quarrels, temperamental outbursts and rehearsals : there is even some kind of play within a play, what with Greek godlings and nymphs dancing and prancing and reciting bad lines.