Harry Baur was the third French actor to play Maigret in as many years and as many films so clearly the character had caught the imagination of the public. Julien Duvivier had been directing films since 1919 and had twenty eight titles behind him, including the brilliant Poil de carrotte, when he tackled his first Simenon and his experience is evident in every frame. He thinks nothing of switching from a Master Shot in, say, a crowded bar, to a Close shot of an individual and intersperses these with Cutaways, a note lying adjacent to a foot, etc. He even shoots one striking scene from a moving car in which we see only the view from a passenger window and allows the unseen occupants to talk over the whole thing. Today, of course, we think nothing of this and possibly even consider it old hat but in 1933 this was high style and it was obvious that a real Master was at work despite the lightness of the plot. If you put your mind to it you could even speculate that Patricia Highsmith got the idea for Strangers On A Train from this movie in which a man mentions in a crowded bar that it would be very convenient if his wealthy aunt were to die and leave him sufficient money to clear his debts and one of the customers takes him at his word and actually does the evil deed. For the time the plot was serviceable but the main interest is how well Duvivier tells his story, handles his actors, and pursues unusual - for the time - camera angles culminating in a climax that finds the murderer trapped beneath the wheel of an automobile, a hand sticking out from (literally) beneath the weight of the wheel and the head at a grotesque angle. Perhaps not quite so good as La Belle Equipe and definitely inferior to Un Carnet de bal and La Fin du jour this is, nevertheless, a fine Duvivier film and a definite 8 out of 10.
13 Reviews
Life doesn't care.
brogmiller27 January 2021
Prolific Belgian novelist Georges Simenon introduced Inspector Jules Maigret to the world in 1931. Film makers were quick to spot the potential but Simenon was deeply disappointed with the first two adaptations, one of which, 'Nuit au Carrefour' was directed by Jean Renoir with his brother Pierre as Maigret.
Simenon was perfectly happy for Renoir to reprise the role in the proposed film of his 'Battle of Nerves' but Simenon himself wanted to direct! Unsurpisingly this idea was knocked on the head. Simenon and Renoir were out and in came Julien Duvivier and Harry Baur who had already made three films together. The title was changed to 'A Man's Head.'
From the opening shot of Madame la Guillotine one is gripped. Duvivier has used this story as a means of conveying his bleak view of the human condition. No adaptation of Maigret, to my knowledge, has succeeded so well in capturing the seediness of demi-monde Montmartre where morally ambiguous characters exist as best they can. This is Film Noir in all but name. The director is aided in this by the art direction of Georges Wakhevitch, for some reason 'uncredited' and his preferred cinematographer at the time Armand Thirard. There is also an inspired use of the voice of chanteuse Damia whose songs are redolent of loss.
Some have criticised the film for making the Maigret of Harry Baur a secondary character to the murderer Radek of Valery Inkijinoff. This is however reminiscent of the relationship between Inspector Porfiry Petrovich and Raskolnikov in 'Crime and Punishment' and is just as effective. As in Dostoevsky's masterpiece all that Maigret has to do is to bide his time and give Radek enough rope. Ironically Bauer was to play Porfiry for Pierre Chenal in 1935.
Inkijinoff excels in the challenging and psychologically complex role of a man under sentence of death from Tuberculosis who has nothing to lose by killing for money and then blackmailing the man who hired him. His one grip on life comes in the shape of his unrequited passion for the Edna of Gina Manes. After a while however his character becomes rather tiresome and one longs for him to be put out of his misery. Mlle Manes, although not a conventional beauty, has sexual charisma in spades and Duvivier has made wonderful use of her eyes, by turns seductive and cunning.
There are two masters at work here. Duvivier, a master of film-making and Bauer, a master of film acting. French cinema has always been more about character than plot and here director and cast are in their element.
Heaven only knows what Simenon thought of the remake 'Man on the Eiffel Tower' but by then he was probably too rich to care. The film lacks a strong hand at the helm and Charles Laughton's idiosyncratic performance as Maigret lacks depth.
Apparently, for reasons best known to himself, Simenon's personal preference in the role was for Rupert Davies!!!!
From the opening shot of Madame la Guillotine one is gripped. Duvivier has used this story as a means of conveying his bleak view of the human condition. No adaptation of Maigret, to my knowledge, has succeeded so well in capturing the seediness of demi-monde Montmartre where morally ambiguous characters exist as best they can. This is Film Noir in all but name. The director is aided in this by the art direction of Georges Wakhevitch, for some reason 'uncredited' and his preferred cinematographer at the time Armand Thirard. There is also an inspired use of the voice of chanteuse Damia whose songs are redolent of loss.
Some have criticised the film for making the Maigret of Harry Baur a secondary character to the murderer Radek of Valery Inkijinoff. This is however reminiscent of the relationship between Inspector Porfiry Petrovich and Raskolnikov in 'Crime and Punishment' and is just as effective. As in Dostoevsky's masterpiece all that Maigret has to do is to bide his time and give Radek enough rope. Ironically Bauer was to play Porfiry for Pierre Chenal in 1935.
Inkijinoff excels in the challenging and psychologically complex role of a man under sentence of death from Tuberculosis who has nothing to lose by killing for money and then blackmailing the man who hired him. His one grip on life comes in the shape of his unrequited passion for the Edna of Gina Manes. After a while however his character becomes rather tiresome and one longs for him to be put out of his misery. Mlle Manes, although not a conventional beauty, has sexual charisma in spades and Duvivier has made wonderful use of her eyes, by turns seductive and cunning.
There are two masters at work here. Duvivier, a master of film-making and Bauer, a master of film acting. French cinema has always been more about character than plot and here director and cast are in their element.
Heaven only knows what Simenon thought of the remake 'Man on the Eiffel Tower' but by then he was probably too rich to care. The film lacks a strong hand at the helm and Charles Laughton's idiosyncratic performance as Maigret lacks depth.
Apparently, for reasons best known to himself, Simenon's personal preference in the role was for Rupert Davies!!!!
a man's neck (or head)
mossgrymk29 November 2020
Pretty good crime/mystery. Didn't much care for Maigret being hijacked 'bout halfway through by Sadek, though. One of the hard and fast rules of movies is that if you've got a famous sleuth (Holmes, Marlowe, Poirot, Miss Marple etc) as the main character then you don't upstage him or her with a subsidiary character even if said sub character is undeniably creepily interesting as Sadek is here, with his Lorry-ish and Doestoevsky-ian intimations. I also agree with one of the previous reviewers who was underwhelmed by Harry Bauer's performance as Maigret. It's so low key that it renders the scene where he finally shows emotion at the death of a colleague, well, kinda ludicrous. However, there is no denying the gritty, tawdry atmosphere with which director Julien Duvivier manages to imbue this film. Hell, you can almost smell the Gauloises in the bar! For this, let's give it a generous B minus.
From Simenon...
dbdumonteil28 December 2005
...but not as good as "Panique" !There are several good sequences but by and large ,the movie lacks focus,intensity,unity.It's like an orchestra where the musicians play different tunes.Valery Inkijinoff,for instance gives an intense portrayal of this terminally ill man who has got nothing to lose,and Alexandre Rignault is equally good as the poor idiot caught into a trap he does not understand.The couple ,on the other hand,has no real presence and is in direct contrast to their two accomplices.Harry Baur is a not very good Maigret.You'd better see him in Duvivier's "Poil de Carotte" and "David Golder".
But there are impressive scenes:the idiot entering the house and discovering the murder;all the sequences that feature Inkijinoff; the final scenes ,which,although they lack mastery ,predate the terrifying conclusion of "Voici le temps des assassins" :no room for a happy end! The 1930-1935 ,in spite of successful flicks such as "Poil de Carotte" and "David Golder",was an experimental time for Duvivier.Hit-and-miss best describes his art which would come into full bloom in the second half of the thirties,and continue (whether the Nouvelle Vague buffs like it or not) through the forties and fifties.
But there are impressive scenes:the idiot entering the house and discovering the murder;all the sequences that feature Inkijinoff; the final scenes ,which,although they lack mastery ,predate the terrifying conclusion of "Voici le temps des assassins" :no room for a happy end! The 1930-1935 ,in spite of successful flicks such as "Poil de Carotte" and "David Golder",was an experimental time for Duvivier.Hit-and-miss best describes his art which would come into full bloom in the second half of the thirties,and continue (whether the Nouvelle Vague buffs like it or not) through the forties and fifties.
Existential policier
gridoon202422 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Although Commisaire Maigret is the nominal star of this early Julien Duvivier murder mystery, there is no doubt that another character, Radek, steals the show: Valéry Inkijinoff is memorably creepy and tragic in the role. In fact the first half, which focuses on the police investigation, is rather pedestrian, even with a couple of inventive directorial bits (the changing backgrounds in one sequence). The film really hits its stride in the second half, when Radek re-enters the picture; there are some startling scenes, like his encounter with a (luscious) prostitute. It's really more of an existential drama than a detective yarn. *** out of 4.
A masterpiece from Duvivier, probably the best Maigret ever
robert-temple-126 May 2017
This magnificent and brilliant film goes to prove, to any who may not have known, that Julien Duvivier was one of France's greatest film directors. The film is very expressionistic in its shots, shadows, and atmosphere. One can certainly never forget the last, unexpectedly shocking scene of the film. This was the third Simenon novel to be filmed, the first having been filmed the previous year, Jean Renoir's NIGHT AT THE CROSSROADS (1932, see my review), which was a disappointing failure. Here Duvivier triumphs where Renoir sank into the dust. Maigret is played in a droll and understated fashion by the plump and far from glamorous Harry Baur. He says little but accomplishes much, and by eccentric but inspired methods. But the film is dominated by the extraordinary performance of the Russian actor Valéry (Walerian) Inkijinoff as a psychologically complex villain who has only six months to live because of tuberculosis, and therefore has nothing to lose. The intensity, power, and menace of his performance is simply incredible. With him on screen, one could even describe the screen itself as haunted. Inkijinoff had made his mark with his film debut as the Mongol in Pudovkin's STORM OVER ASIA (1928), where his name was spelled properly as Inkizhinov. Here he plays Radek, a penniless Czech émigré living in a cheap hotel room in the centre of Montparnasse, where most of the action of the film is set. He intends to carry out a major crime, but sets up a witless labourer named Joseph Heurtin as a patsy to take the fall for murder. Alexandre Rignault's performance as Heurtin is outstanding. And Duvivier makes the most of this character, showing him walking around with his huge ungainly hands wide open with the elongated fingers dangling, sometimes seen in dramatic shadows which are clearly meant to be reminiscent of the shadows of the actor Max Schreck as the vampire in Murnau's famous NOSFERATU (1922). The closeups of Rignault's puzzled and fearful face, with his large uncomprehending eyes of a fleeing game animal, are immensely powerful. Duvivier has turned this Maigret story into something approaching a Gothic horror tale. We see many lively scenes in Montparnasse cafes, especially a Bar Eden, full of locals nursing their café crèmes, loose women picking up men, and men winking at each other either in complicity or as a sign that they have a good little crime up their sleeves. The compulsive gamblers roll dice on the zinc bar between their Pernods. There is a genuine Montparnasse flavour about this film, which is entirely lacking in Jacques Becker's unsatisfactory and artificial film about Modigliani, THE LOVERS OF MONTPARNASSE (1958). Another strange and compulsive performance in this film is by Gina Manès as Willy's fiancée Edna Reichenberg. Duvivier gives her many lingering closeups where we see her passionately bulging eyes, her fear, her greed, her brazen nature, and when she comes up against Radek, her own incomprehension, equal almost to Rignault's, of that arch-villain's extreme audacity which surpasses anything she has ever known. This film is a deep psychological film masquerading as a Maigret mystery. Duvivier is exploring the limits of human nature with the enthusiasm of a dedicated pathologist. The film really is well described by that popular slang phrase: 'something else'. In other words. 'you gotta see it'. Aspiring film geniuses, be ready to learn from a master.
An interesting police film, ahead of its time
AlsExGal4 May 2023
French crime drama from director Julien Duvivier, based on a novel by Georges Simenon starrs Harry Baur as police Chief Inspector Maigret who's leading the investigation of the murder of a wealthy old woman stabbed in her home. The case leads to creepy, terminally-ill medical student Radek (Valery Inkijinoff) who sees this as his chance to a leave a mark on the world.
I was impressed by the odd-looking Inkijinoff, even if his character doesn't always quite make sense. Director Duvivier utilizes a number of novel cinematic techniques, such as, instead of having an investigator move from location to location, he is shown addressing people on a projected screen, with the projection changing locations. It's a disconcerting way of showing location changes. This was an interesting police film, a bit ahead of its time, and any chance to see Baur is worth taking.
I was impressed by the odd-looking Inkijinoff, even if his character doesn't always quite make sense. Director Duvivier utilizes a number of novel cinematic techniques, such as, instead of having an investigator move from location to location, he is shown addressing people on a projected screen, with the projection changing locations. It's a disconcerting way of showing location changes. This was an interesting police film, a bit ahead of its time, and any chance to see Baur is worth taking.
"And the night invaded me, all is mist, all is grey, as I cradled my illusion."
morrison-dylan-fan14 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Saving the Criterion Eclipse box set of Julien Duvivier films for a special occasion, a Noirember event taking place on ICM made me decide it was time to open the box. Finding just one Film Noir in the set, I got ready to witness Duvivier taking on Maigret.
View on the film:
Turning the page of Georges Simenon's Maigret tale, co-writer/(with Pierre Calmann and Louis Delaprée) directing auteur Julien Duvivier displays his most flamboyant side in closely working with regular collaborator cinematographer Armand Thirard to glaze the Film Noir atmosphere with playful stylisation, popping from the wipe edits and extended first person camera angles.
Continuing to build on the theme across all his films of finding the loners in back alleys,Duvivier builds the dread of a simmering Gothic Horror in shards of shadows being cast across faces and criss-crossing of cutaways with jolts of wide-shots and lingering close-ups on monstrous killers Maigret is trying to catch.
Sticking the murder rep on a country bumpkin, the writers give Radek a ticking time bomb to his impending death in their thrilling adaptation of Simenon's Maigret, thickly cutting Radek with pessimistic Noir dialogue that gives his exchanges with Maigret a confrontational undertone.
Chipping away at the corner of the alibis built, the writers follow Maigret's investigation with a real precision in picking up at first what sounds like casual, throwaway comments, and peeling them open to find the real blood- covered hands of the killers.
Finding flaws in the alibis that others miss, Harry Baur presents a towering take on Maigret,with Baur wrapping Maigret in a dusty coat creating a larger than life appearance, whilst Baur also gives Maigret's questioning of suspects a casualness which brings a believable tone to when they drop their guard.
Using his quick-wits at every turn for double dealing,Valéry Inkijinoff gives a mesmerising performance as Radek, with Inkijinoff mixing a monster-like isolation of being left with no shadow, and a hard-nosed Film Noir viciousness to outwit Maigret.
View on the film:
Turning the page of Georges Simenon's Maigret tale, co-writer/(with Pierre Calmann and Louis Delaprée) directing auteur Julien Duvivier displays his most flamboyant side in closely working with regular collaborator cinematographer Armand Thirard to glaze the Film Noir atmosphere with playful stylisation, popping from the wipe edits and extended first person camera angles.
Continuing to build on the theme across all his films of finding the loners in back alleys,Duvivier builds the dread of a simmering Gothic Horror in shards of shadows being cast across faces and criss-crossing of cutaways with jolts of wide-shots and lingering close-ups on monstrous killers Maigret is trying to catch.
Sticking the murder rep on a country bumpkin, the writers give Radek a ticking time bomb to his impending death in their thrilling adaptation of Simenon's Maigret, thickly cutting Radek with pessimistic Noir dialogue that gives his exchanges with Maigret a confrontational undertone.
Chipping away at the corner of the alibis built, the writers follow Maigret's investigation with a real precision in picking up at first what sounds like casual, throwaway comments, and peeling them open to find the real blood- covered hands of the killers.
Finding flaws in the alibis that others miss, Harry Baur presents a towering take on Maigret,with Baur wrapping Maigret in a dusty coat creating a larger than life appearance, whilst Baur also gives Maigret's questioning of suspects a casualness which brings a believable tone to when they drop their guard.
Using his quick-wits at every turn for double dealing,Valéry Inkijinoff gives a mesmerising performance as Radek, with Inkijinoff mixing a monster-like isolation of being left with no shadow, and a hard-nosed Film Noir viciousness to outwit Maigret.
"To make it look like the work of a defenseless simpleton"
evening18 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed what was for me an introduction to Simenon's fabled Commissaire Maigret.
Maigret is the investigator you want on a case when you know that your loved one isn't guilty. And thank God for him. So many others are all too quick to dispense with details and rush to judgment.
Maigret is observant, attentive, and patient -- a godsend to an Everyman who wishes to be experienced as an individual.
This film features fine performances by Henry Baur as the quietly relentless commissaire, and by Alexandre Rignault as the unwitting dupe Heurtin. Heurtin disappears from the action of this film too early and for no good reason. It's a flaw.
Another is the over-emphasis on the antics of Radek. I think that Valery Inkijinoff overplays the part of the bad guy. His lust for the companion of the plotting nephew isn't germane to the story and causes one's interest to flag.
This movie is atmospherically filmed at a time in history where the world approached a breakdown of civilization. It leaves one uncomfortable. If not for our Maigret...
Maigret is the investigator you want on a case when you know that your loved one isn't guilty. And thank God for him. So many others are all too quick to dispense with details and rush to judgment.
Maigret is observant, attentive, and patient -- a godsend to an Everyman who wishes to be experienced as an individual.
This film features fine performances by Henry Baur as the quietly relentless commissaire, and by Alexandre Rignault as the unwitting dupe Heurtin. Heurtin disappears from the action of this film too early and for no good reason. It's a flaw.
Another is the over-emphasis on the antics of Radek. I think that Valery Inkijinoff overplays the part of the bad guy. His lust for the companion of the plotting nephew isn't germane to the story and causes one's interest to flag.
This movie is atmospherically filmed at a time in history where the world approached a breakdown of civilization. It leaves one uncomfortable. If not for our Maigret...
Fantastic
gbill-7487729 November 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable crime drama from Julien Duvivier which had it all for me - the atmosphere of smoky French cafes, a clever plot with its wrinkle in a murder for hire scheme, a fantastic villain (Valéry Inkijinoff), very nice camera work and editing, and the warbling of a plaintive song by Missia, giving Édith Piaf a run for her money. It felt ahead of its time and Hitchcockian (as overused as that comparison is), but at the same time, has that wonderful sense of place in 1930s France. I loved the flirtation and the little references sprinkled into the script, e.g. to the William Desmond Taylor murder, Louis XIV's "little country cottage," and the scrawl on the wall saying "Don't shoot the piano player, he's doing the best he can." I also loved the cat and mouse game with the detective (Harry Baur). One to seek out.
The best cinematic Maigret film
mdjedovic7 August 2021
Such was the popularity of Georges Simenon's Maigret, an indefatigable literary detective who first appeared in print in 1931, that in the span of less than a year three unconnected films were made of his adventures. The first was Jean Renoir's "Night at the Crossroads", the second Jean Tarride's "The Yellow Dog", and the third Julien Duvivier's "A Man's Neck". Of the three, Duvivier's is the absolute best without any doubt. Where "Night at the Crossroads" was disorientating and lacking in continuity, "A Man's Neck" presents its plot with laser-like precision and determination. Where "The Yellow Dog" was cheap and stagey, "A Man's Neck" is artful and atmospheric, modern and expressionistic.
The film begins with a mysterious note found in the pocket of Willy Ferrière (Gaston Jacquet), a penniless scoundrel who likes to live large with his fiancée Edna (Gina Manès). "We will get rid of your Aunt Henderson for 100,000 francs. Send address, key, and floor plan to M. V., general delivery, Boulevard Raspail." Even though not a killer himself, Willy can't resist the urge to go from heir apparent to heir in fact. So, he accepts the offer and very soon the deed is done. Old aunt Henderson is found dead, Willy and Edna are rich at last, and, best of all, the killer, a dim low-life by the name of Heurtin (Alexandre Rignault) has been apprehended. But, what Willy does not know is that he has signed the deal with the devil.
The devil, in this case, being Radek (Valéry Inkijinoff), a terminally ill, nihilistic sociopath who is the true killer of aunt Henderson. Not troubled by such petty things as morals or conscience, he framed the poor Heurtin and is now out to get Willy and Edna. Being that he'll be dead in six months, the money is of no use to him. He wants to play a game. Feel the thrill of the chase. Destroy a man's life and watch him flap about like a fish in the shards of his aquarium trying to put it back together.
And it's not just Willy he'll be toying with. Not content with Heurtin taking all the credit, wanting his perfect murder to be known, he begins a game with the police. Intentionally attracting the attention of Commissaire Maigret (Harry Baur) by his inordinate spending, he starts a battle of nerves with him the kind of which would make the "Columbo" series a huge hit almost 40 years later. The two men, however, are evenly matched as Maigret has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
And it's not just the plot that seems to be ahead of its time. Comparing the film to the previous two Maigret adaptations it looks as if it had been made 10 years later. Duvivier not only doesn't fall into any of the common traps of early talkies, he utterly subverts them. Unlike most of the films of the era which tended to appear stagey and stilted with awkward dialogue scenes and overused wide shots, "A Man's Neck" is vivacious and atmospheric, featuring several excitingly expressionistic scenes and some really clever and inventive use of sound.
Look at the moody sequence, for instance, of Heurtin stumbling upon the corpse of Mrs Henderson. Shot from high angles and enveloped by long, pronounced shadows it resembles a scene from a Fritz Lang film. Extreme close-ups of shocked, terrified faces and the wild eyes of Valéry Inkijinoff abound as well, none of which would seem out of place in a Mabuse movie. Lang's "M" had only been released in France a year before and Duvivier had clearly been taking notes.
Other memorable scenes include wonderful use of sound. For instance, the aforementioned scene of Heurtin's discovery of the body is accompanied only by the sound of his heavy, anxious breathing. His escape from the police is similarly scored by the barking of dogs which continue to echo in his ears. Also effective is the use of a song being sung by a woman who lives next door to Radek. A song that comes to signify his yearning for normal life and all the beauty no longer available to him due to his illness.
At other times, Duvivier uses sound to achieve a sense of almost documentarian realism. A great scene at a police station briefing is underscored by a murmur of a bunch of cops complaining, talking about their wives, and cracking dirty jokes. The scene uncannily resembles the opening scenes of every episode of "Hill Street Blues" and gives "A Man's Neck" an unexpected atmosphere of realism.
Finally, Duvivier also uses some clever back-projection tricks throughout the film using it first to portray the plodding police investigation and then to shoot one of the most nightmarish foot chases I've ever seen on film.
The casting is absolutely pitch-perfect especially that of Valéry Inkijinoff. With his sly, wide-open eyes, untamable hair, and his Buryat features, he is absolutely magnetic on-screen displaying an indomitable intensity the kind of which would become a trademark of actors like Gary Busey and Christopher Walken.
Harry Baur makes for a superb Maigret. Serene and unflappable but with a mischievous gleam in his eye. The scenes between him and Inkijinoff are the high point of the film, especially an almost silent scene in which they sit and listen to Radek's neighbour sing. A temporary truce between two formidable opponents engaged in a deadly battle of nerves.
The rest of the cast impress as well with Gaston Jacquet as a suitably oily coward, Gina Manès as a temptress short on morals, and Alexandre Rignault as a helpless stooge caught up in other people's game. Utterly shockingly, even Henri Échourin's comic relief is not as grating as they usually are. He's actually quite endearing and his developing relationship with Maigret provides the heart of the film.
Ahead of its time, exciting, atmospheric, tension-filled, and above all endlessly entertaining, "A Man's Neck" is not only the best cinematic adaptation of a Maigret novel, it is easily one of the finest thrillers ever made. Julien Duvivier's expressionistic direction, Valéry Inkijinoff complex and compelling performance, and a superb plot from Georges Simenon have perfectly conspired to make it that.
The film begins with a mysterious note found in the pocket of Willy Ferrière (Gaston Jacquet), a penniless scoundrel who likes to live large with his fiancée Edna (Gina Manès). "We will get rid of your Aunt Henderson for 100,000 francs. Send address, key, and floor plan to M. V., general delivery, Boulevard Raspail." Even though not a killer himself, Willy can't resist the urge to go from heir apparent to heir in fact. So, he accepts the offer and very soon the deed is done. Old aunt Henderson is found dead, Willy and Edna are rich at last, and, best of all, the killer, a dim low-life by the name of Heurtin (Alexandre Rignault) has been apprehended. But, what Willy does not know is that he has signed the deal with the devil.
The devil, in this case, being Radek (Valéry Inkijinoff), a terminally ill, nihilistic sociopath who is the true killer of aunt Henderson. Not troubled by such petty things as morals or conscience, he framed the poor Heurtin and is now out to get Willy and Edna. Being that he'll be dead in six months, the money is of no use to him. He wants to play a game. Feel the thrill of the chase. Destroy a man's life and watch him flap about like a fish in the shards of his aquarium trying to put it back together.
And it's not just Willy he'll be toying with. Not content with Heurtin taking all the credit, wanting his perfect murder to be known, he begins a game with the police. Intentionally attracting the attention of Commissaire Maigret (Harry Baur) by his inordinate spending, he starts a battle of nerves with him the kind of which would make the "Columbo" series a huge hit almost 40 years later. The two men, however, are evenly matched as Maigret has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
And it's not just the plot that seems to be ahead of its time. Comparing the film to the previous two Maigret adaptations it looks as if it had been made 10 years later. Duvivier not only doesn't fall into any of the common traps of early talkies, he utterly subverts them. Unlike most of the films of the era which tended to appear stagey and stilted with awkward dialogue scenes and overused wide shots, "A Man's Neck" is vivacious and atmospheric, featuring several excitingly expressionistic scenes and some really clever and inventive use of sound.
Look at the moody sequence, for instance, of Heurtin stumbling upon the corpse of Mrs Henderson. Shot from high angles and enveloped by long, pronounced shadows it resembles a scene from a Fritz Lang film. Extreme close-ups of shocked, terrified faces and the wild eyes of Valéry Inkijinoff abound as well, none of which would seem out of place in a Mabuse movie. Lang's "M" had only been released in France a year before and Duvivier had clearly been taking notes.
Other memorable scenes include wonderful use of sound. For instance, the aforementioned scene of Heurtin's discovery of the body is accompanied only by the sound of his heavy, anxious breathing. His escape from the police is similarly scored by the barking of dogs which continue to echo in his ears. Also effective is the use of a song being sung by a woman who lives next door to Radek. A song that comes to signify his yearning for normal life and all the beauty no longer available to him due to his illness.
At other times, Duvivier uses sound to achieve a sense of almost documentarian realism. A great scene at a police station briefing is underscored by a murmur of a bunch of cops complaining, talking about their wives, and cracking dirty jokes. The scene uncannily resembles the opening scenes of every episode of "Hill Street Blues" and gives "A Man's Neck" an unexpected atmosphere of realism.
Finally, Duvivier also uses some clever back-projection tricks throughout the film using it first to portray the plodding police investigation and then to shoot one of the most nightmarish foot chases I've ever seen on film.
The casting is absolutely pitch-perfect especially that of Valéry Inkijinoff. With his sly, wide-open eyes, untamable hair, and his Buryat features, he is absolutely magnetic on-screen displaying an indomitable intensity the kind of which would become a trademark of actors like Gary Busey and Christopher Walken.
Harry Baur makes for a superb Maigret. Serene and unflappable but with a mischievous gleam in his eye. The scenes between him and Inkijinoff are the high point of the film, especially an almost silent scene in which they sit and listen to Radek's neighbour sing. A temporary truce between two formidable opponents engaged in a deadly battle of nerves.
The rest of the cast impress as well with Gaston Jacquet as a suitably oily coward, Gina Manès as a temptress short on morals, and Alexandre Rignault as a helpless stooge caught up in other people's game. Utterly shockingly, even Henri Échourin's comic relief is not as grating as they usually are. He's actually quite endearing and his developing relationship with Maigret provides the heart of the film.
Ahead of its time, exciting, atmospheric, tension-filled, and above all endlessly entertaining, "A Man's Neck" is not only the best cinematic adaptation of a Maigret novel, it is easily one of the finest thrillers ever made. Julien Duvivier's expressionistic direction, Valéry Inkijinoff complex and compelling performance, and a superb plot from Georges Simenon have perfectly conspired to make it that.
Mediocre Simenon adaptation
bob99831 March 2021
I am a passionate Maigret enthusiast, and it was a disappointment to see the weak and charmless film that Duvivier made of one of Simenon's better novels. Harry Baur acts as though he couldn't care less about the story or his part, while Gina Manes as the cheap gold-digging mistress of a homicidal wastrel gives a very bland performance. The only spirit in the whole show comes from Valery Inkijinoff as the terminally ill killer Radek, a man who has plenty of reasons to live it up, since he's living on borrowed time. Some fine camerawork from Armand Thirard does not make this film worth seeing.
The best cinematic Maigret
mdjedovic8 August 2021
Such was the popularity of Georges Simenon's Maigret, an indefatigable literary detective who first appeared in print in 1931, that in the span of less than a year three unconnected films were made of his adventures. The first was Jean Renoir's "Night at the Crossroads", the second Jean Tarride's "The Yellow Dog", and the third Julien Duvivier's "A Man's Neck". Of the three, Duvivier's is the absolute best without any doubt. Where "Night at the Crossroads" was disorientating and lacking in continuity, "A Man's Neck" presents its plot with laser-like precision and determination. Where "The Yellow Dog" was cheap and stagey, "A Man's Neck" is artful and atmospheric, modern and expressionistic.
The film begins with a mysterious note found in the pocket of Willy Ferrière (Gaston Jacquet), a penniless scoundrel who likes to live large with his fiancée Edna (Gina Manès). "We will get rid of your Aunt Henderson for 100,000 francs. Send address, key, and floor plan to M. V., general delivery, Boulevard Raspail." Even though not a killer himself, Willy can't resist the urge to go from heir apparent to heir in fact. So, he accepts the offer and very soon the deed is done. Old aunt Henderson is found dead, Willy and Edna are rich at last, and, best of all, the killer, a dim low-life by the name of Heurtin (Alexandre Rignault) has been apprehended. But, what Willy does not know is that he has signed the deal with the devil.
The devil, in this case, being Radek (Valéry Inkijinoff), a terminally ill, nihilistic sociopath who is the true killer of aunt Henderson. Not troubled by such petty things as morals or conscience, he framed the poor Heurtin and is now out to get Willy and Edna. Being that he'll be dead in six months, the money is of no use to him. He wants to play a game. Feel the thrill of the chase. Destroy a man's life and watch him flap about like a fish in the shards of his aquarium trying to put it back together.
And it's not just Willy he'll be toying with. Not content with Heurtin taking all the credit, wanting his perfect murder to be known, he begins a game with the police. Intentionally attracting the attention of Commissaire Maigret (Harry Baur) by his inordinate spending, he starts a battle of nerves with him the kind of which would make the "Columbo" series a huge hit almost 40 years later. The two men, however, are evenly matched as Maigret has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
And it's not just the plot that seems to be ahead of its time. Comparing the film to the previous two Maigret adaptations it looks as if it had been made 10 years later. Duvivier not only doesn't fall into any of the common traps of early talkies, he utterly subverts them. Unlike most of the films of the era which tended to appear stagey and stilted with awkward dialogue scenes and overused wide shots, "A Man's Neck" is vivacious and atmospheric, featuring several excitingly expressionistic scenes and some really clever and inventive use of sound.
Look at the moody sequence, for instance, of Heurtin stumbling upon the corpse of Mrs Henderson. Shot from high angles and enveloped by long, pronounced shadows it resembles a scene from a Fritz Lang film. Extreme close-ups of shocked, terrified faces and the wild eyes of Valéry Inkijinoff abound as well, none of which would seem out of place in a Mabuse movie. Lang's "M" had only been released in France a year before and Duvivier had clearly been taking notes.
Other memorable scenes include wonderful use of sound. For instance, the aforementioned scene of Heurtin's discovery of the body is accompanied only by the sound of his heavy, anxious breathing. His escape from the police is similarly scored by the barking of dogs which continue to echo in his ears. Also effective is the use of a song being sung by a woman who lives next door to Radek. A song that comes to signify his yearning for normal life and all the beauty no longer available to him due to his illness.
At other times, Duvivier uses sound to achieve a sense of almost documentarian realism. A great scene at a police station briefing is underscored by a murmur of a bunch of cops complaining, talking about their wives, and cracking dirty jokes. The scene uncannily resembles the opening scenes of every episode of "Hill Street Blues" and gives "A Man's Neck" an unexpected atmosphere of realism.
Finally, Duvivier also uses some clever back-projection tricks throughout the film using it first to portray the plodding police investigation and then to shoot one of the most nightmarish foot chases I've ever seen on film.
The casting is absolutely pitch-perfect especially that of Valéry Inkijinoff. With his sly, wide-open eyes, untamable hair, and his Buryat features, he is absolutely magnetic on-screen displaying an indomitable intensity the kind of which would become a trademark of actors like Gary Busey and Christopher Walken.
Harry Baur makes for a superb Maigret. Serene and unflappable but with a mischievous gleam in his eye. The scenes between him and Inkijinoff are the high point of the film, especially an almost silent scene in which they sit and listen to Radek's neighbour sing. A temporary truce between two formidable opponents engaged in a deadly battle of nerves.
The rest of the cast impress as well with Gaston Jacquet as a suitably oily coward, Gina Manès as a temptress short on morals, and Alexandre Rignault as a helpless stooge caught up in other people's game. Utterly shockingly, even Henri Échourin's comic relief is not as grating as they usually are. He's actually quite endearing and his developing relationship with Maigret provides the heart of the film.
Ahead of its time, exciting, atmospheric, tension-filled, and above all endlessly entertaining, "A Man's Neck" is not only the best cinematic adaptation of a Maigret novel, it is easily one of the finest thrillers ever made. Julien Duvivier's expressionistic direction, Valéry Inkijinoff's complex and compelling performance, and a superb plot from Georges Simenon have perfectly conspired to make it that.
The film begins with a mysterious note found in the pocket of Willy Ferrière (Gaston Jacquet), a penniless scoundrel who likes to live large with his fiancée Edna (Gina Manès). "We will get rid of your Aunt Henderson for 100,000 francs. Send address, key, and floor plan to M. V., general delivery, Boulevard Raspail." Even though not a killer himself, Willy can't resist the urge to go from heir apparent to heir in fact. So, he accepts the offer and very soon the deed is done. Old aunt Henderson is found dead, Willy and Edna are rich at last, and, best of all, the killer, a dim low-life by the name of Heurtin (Alexandre Rignault) has been apprehended. But, what Willy does not know is that he has signed the deal with the devil.
The devil, in this case, being Radek (Valéry Inkijinoff), a terminally ill, nihilistic sociopath who is the true killer of aunt Henderson. Not troubled by such petty things as morals or conscience, he framed the poor Heurtin and is now out to get Willy and Edna. Being that he'll be dead in six months, the money is of no use to him. He wants to play a game. Feel the thrill of the chase. Destroy a man's life and watch him flap about like a fish in the shards of his aquarium trying to put it back together.
And it's not just Willy he'll be toying with. Not content with Heurtin taking all the credit, wanting his perfect murder to be known, he begins a game with the police. Intentionally attracting the attention of Commissaire Maigret (Harry Baur) by his inordinate spending, he starts a battle of nerves with him the kind of which would make the "Columbo" series a huge hit almost 40 years later. The two men, however, are evenly matched as Maigret has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
And it's not just the plot that seems to be ahead of its time. Comparing the film to the previous two Maigret adaptations it looks as if it had been made 10 years later. Duvivier not only doesn't fall into any of the common traps of early talkies, he utterly subverts them. Unlike most of the films of the era which tended to appear stagey and stilted with awkward dialogue scenes and overused wide shots, "A Man's Neck" is vivacious and atmospheric, featuring several excitingly expressionistic scenes and some really clever and inventive use of sound.
Look at the moody sequence, for instance, of Heurtin stumbling upon the corpse of Mrs Henderson. Shot from high angles and enveloped by long, pronounced shadows it resembles a scene from a Fritz Lang film. Extreme close-ups of shocked, terrified faces and the wild eyes of Valéry Inkijinoff abound as well, none of which would seem out of place in a Mabuse movie. Lang's "M" had only been released in France a year before and Duvivier had clearly been taking notes.
Other memorable scenes include wonderful use of sound. For instance, the aforementioned scene of Heurtin's discovery of the body is accompanied only by the sound of his heavy, anxious breathing. His escape from the police is similarly scored by the barking of dogs which continue to echo in his ears. Also effective is the use of a song being sung by a woman who lives next door to Radek. A song that comes to signify his yearning for normal life and all the beauty no longer available to him due to his illness.
At other times, Duvivier uses sound to achieve a sense of almost documentarian realism. A great scene at a police station briefing is underscored by a murmur of a bunch of cops complaining, talking about their wives, and cracking dirty jokes. The scene uncannily resembles the opening scenes of every episode of "Hill Street Blues" and gives "A Man's Neck" an unexpected atmosphere of realism.
Finally, Duvivier also uses some clever back-projection tricks throughout the film using it first to portray the plodding police investigation and then to shoot one of the most nightmarish foot chases I've ever seen on film.
The casting is absolutely pitch-perfect especially that of Valéry Inkijinoff. With his sly, wide-open eyes, untamable hair, and his Buryat features, he is absolutely magnetic on-screen displaying an indomitable intensity the kind of which would become a trademark of actors like Gary Busey and Christopher Walken.
Harry Baur makes for a superb Maigret. Serene and unflappable but with a mischievous gleam in his eye. The scenes between him and Inkijinoff are the high point of the film, especially an almost silent scene in which they sit and listen to Radek's neighbour sing. A temporary truce between two formidable opponents engaged in a deadly battle of nerves.
The rest of the cast impress as well with Gaston Jacquet as a suitably oily coward, Gina Manès as a temptress short on morals, and Alexandre Rignault as a helpless stooge caught up in other people's game. Utterly shockingly, even Henri Échourin's comic relief is not as grating as they usually are. He's actually quite endearing and his developing relationship with Maigret provides the heart of the film.
Ahead of its time, exciting, atmospheric, tension-filled, and above all endlessly entertaining, "A Man's Neck" is not only the best cinematic adaptation of a Maigret novel, it is easily one of the finest thrillers ever made. Julien Duvivier's expressionistic direction, Valéry Inkijinoff's complex and compelling performance, and a superb plot from Georges Simenon have perfectly conspired to make it that.
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