简介：ThemoviesClaudeChabrolmadeinthefirsttenyearsofhiscareerarevastlyunderratednowadayswiththefilmunderreviewbeing,arguably,themostobscureofthelot;admittedly,LESGODELUREAUX–anunwieldysingle-wordtitleifevertherewasone(literallymeaning"thepopinjays")–couldnothaveendeareditmuchtoaudiences.Consequently,itseemsratherhardnowtobelievethatChabrol'smorerenownedcolleagueatthe"CahiersDuCinema",Jean-LucGodard,oncenameditamong"TheTopSixFrenchFilmsmadesincetheLiberation"(!)alongsideRobertBresson'sPICKPOCKET,JeanCocteau'sLETESTAMENTD'ORPHEE'andJeanRenoir'sLETESTAMENTDUDOCTEURCORDELIER(all1959)!! Thematically,thefilmisbasicallyBresson/Cocteau'smasterfulLESDAMESDUBOISDEBOULOGNE(1945)reworkedforthe"NewWave"set–thoughtherevengethistimearoundistriggeredbyapettyincidentbetweenstrangers,makingthewholeschemeanevenmorecynicalone.Apartfromthedirectorhimself,thefilmalsofindssomechoiceperformersatsomewhereneartheirbest,notablythetwoleads:Jean-ClaudeBrialy(genuinelyMephistophelean,hedisplaysaremarkableflairformelodramathroughout)andanentrancingBernadetteLafont(peerlesslyepitomizingearthysensuality)–thoughsome,likethereviewerofthe"FilmsDeFrance"website,actuallyfelttheircharacterstobecaricatures!EquallyimperativetothesuccessofthefilmisJeanRabier'sglossyblack-and-whitecamera-work,atypicallyfinescorebyPierreJansenandalsoacleveruseofoverlappingsound(actuallyoneoftherevolutionarycinematictechniquescharacteristicoftheFrench"NouvelleVague"movement). Theplot–oozingwiththehedonistic/nihilisticoutlookofChabrol'sregularscribePaulGegauff–seestheseeminglybisexualbourgeoisfopBrialysendingoutcoquettishseductressLafonttoattracttheattentionofayoungman(well-playedbyvirtualunknownandfuturedirectorCharlesBelmont)whohadspitedhimattheverystartofthefilm.Subsequently,thenewly-mintedtriobecomesvirtuallyinseparableensuringaninvasionofthelatter'sdomesticlife(whichembarrasseshimnoend,sinceheisstillinthecustodyofastrictandwealthyuncle)–asmuchastheyforcehimintotheirownprivatechaos(whichinvolvesnotonlyanomnipresenthomosexualvaletbyBrialy'ssidebutanerdysoon-to-be-wedcousinwhomLafonthasnoqualmsaboutseducinginfrontofhercurrentboyfriend,Belmont)! Althoughatonepointaménage-a'-troisbetweenthethreeleadsisimplied,someoftheirshenanigansarefairlyharmless–suchasdisruptinganartexhibitionwiththedisseminationofsneezingpowder,oranupper-classsoiree'byincorporatingintotheprogrambothasultrydance(performedbynoneotherthanadark-hairedStephaneAudran!)andaneccentricdittysungbyapatheticex-vaudevillianlady.However,thebacchanalinthestyleofAncientRome,togasandall–heldatBelmont'shouse,havingchargedLafontwithitsupkeepwhileheisawayonbusiness(inthesamevein,LuisBunuel'scontemporaneousVIRIDIANA[1961],wouldfeatureafamouslyblasphemousparodyofDaVinci's"TheLastSupper")–hasmoresevererepercussions;thissequenceiscleverly,andamusingly,cross-cutbyChabrolwiththemostformalofrestaurantdinnersbeingconsumedbytheobliviousBelmontandhisuncle! Eventually,theschemerfeelsvindicatedandconfessestohavingtakentheyoungman'foraride'andthatLafont(whomtheboyhadgenuinelyfallenforandwasevenplanningtomarry)hadbeenhistormentor'smistressallalong.However,inkeepingwiththefilm'sdarklyhumoroustone(boastingacoupleofbona-fidehowlersalongtheway),thecodashowsthat,thoughobviouslybroken-heartedatfirst,Belmonthaspickedhimselfupbythetimewenextseehimayearlaterandisconsolinghimselfwithaplain-lookinggirl;infact,runningbychanceintoLafontonapier,itisratherthelatterwhoisunabletomature–beingseeminglyinvolvedinyetanotherromanticscam(withahigh-rankingNavalofficer,noless)……