A rich widow's beloved son is kidnapped for ransom, then brutally killed. In a night chase, police pursue the two culprits to a dead end, from which emerges... three men. Each man insists upon his own innocence and the guilt of the other two. What follows is the police investigation, then the trial to determine whodunit - or more importantly, who didn't do it.
Cayatte's film is crafted like one of those thrillers where the mystery is revealed by the pipe-smoking detective in the final scene. Except it isn't. We never find out the truth, nor does the film even give us the means to figure it out ourselves. Each man seems as innocent or as guilty as the other two. And in the end all the men suffer the same fate.
The point, as often with Cayatte, is not simply to entertain us with a mystery thriller but to provoke with social criticism. He shows us how the legal system and human nature react (inadequately) in the face of such a dilemma. And the final outcome is horrifying. We could do with more films like this today.
Cayatte's film is crafted like one of those thrillers where the mystery is revealed by the pipe-smoking detective in the final scene. Except it isn't. We never find out the truth, nor does the film even give us the means to figure it out ourselves. Each man seems as innocent or as guilty as the other two. And in the end all the men suffer the same fate.
The point, as often with Cayatte, is not simply to entertain us with a mystery thriller but to provoke with social criticism. He shows us how the legal system and human nature react (inadequately) in the face of such a dilemma. And the final outcome is horrifying. We could do with more films like this today.