A whodunit's success often rests on an unexpected but believable twist. A thriller in which the audience already knows the culprit is, however, more difficult to make because with no riddle for the audience to solve, the moviemakers have to work doubly hard to hold their interest. Police Python 357 is most intriguing because even though the audience knows everything, the various characters in the movie have different levels of knowledge of the truth.
At the lowest level is Menard (Mathieu Carriere) the young policeman who knows little about the murder he is investigating. Higher up is his partner Ferrott (Yves Montand) who is in a most unenviable position and knows that when various clues are followed, he will get closer and closer to being implicated as the prime suspect for the murder of his girlfriend. He therefore takes every step to foil Menard's chances of exposing him. He, however, does not know that his boss Ganny (Francois Perier), the policy chief, is the real murderer and also his murdered girlfriend's other lover. Ganny knows all (not initially, but eventually) and plots to get out of this mess before his imminent retirement, by framing Ferrott. Above these three levels of knowledge is Ganny's wheel-chaired wife (Simone Signoret), who not only knows everything, but also has the calm detachment that Ganny does not have.
It is watching these three levels of knowledge interplay that makes this movie so absorbing. There are a couple of scenes that remind you of Hitchcock, such as Ferrott following in a car at a distance his girlfriend on foot. Those who happen to like westerns will love Montand's one fast draw (once is enough; more will ruin it). It beats the best you've seen in real westerns, such as Ladd (Shane), Newman (Left-handed Gun) and Brando (One-eyed Jack). Then, when you think that you can see a couple of alternative endings for the movie, it surprises you again.
Interesting to note that while real life husband and wife Montand and Signoret, whose names appear first and second respectively in the opening credits, have only one scene together, close to the end.
At the lowest level is Menard (Mathieu Carriere) the young policeman who knows little about the murder he is investigating. Higher up is his partner Ferrott (Yves Montand) who is in a most unenviable position and knows that when various clues are followed, he will get closer and closer to being implicated as the prime suspect for the murder of his girlfriend. He therefore takes every step to foil Menard's chances of exposing him. He, however, does not know that his boss Ganny (Francois Perier), the policy chief, is the real murderer and also his murdered girlfriend's other lover. Ganny knows all (not initially, but eventually) and plots to get out of this mess before his imminent retirement, by framing Ferrott. Above these three levels of knowledge is Ganny's wheel-chaired wife (Simone Signoret), who not only knows everything, but also has the calm detachment that Ganny does not have.
It is watching these three levels of knowledge interplay that makes this movie so absorbing. There are a couple of scenes that remind you of Hitchcock, such as Ferrott following in a car at a distance his girlfriend on foot. Those who happen to like westerns will love Montand's one fast draw (once is enough; more will ruin it). It beats the best you've seen in real westerns, such as Ladd (Shane), Newman (Left-handed Gun) and Brando (One-eyed Jack). Then, when you think that you can see a couple of alternative endings for the movie, it surprises you again.
Interesting to note that while real life husband and wife Montand and Signoret, whose names appear first and second respectively in the opening credits, have only one scene together, close to the end.