At a preface to his novel,Maurice Leblanc issued a warning:WW1 caused son many diruptions that all that happened outside it seems abnormal,does not make sense ;but he insists even something miraculous may be explained .
For all that,although utterly fascinating ,"l île aux trente cercueils",Leblanc's most cruel stressful novel remains utterly impossible ;it has nothing to do with the first Arsene Lupin stories ;although the hero intervenes as a deus ex machina late in the book ,something offbeat ,bizarre and supernatural infiltrated his adventures .
The historical context is WW1. The heroine ,Veronique works overtime (she hasn't had a day off since the beginning) as a nurse in a hospital ; the first episode includes a long flashback with scenes entirely written by the screenwriters based on the preface and on a private eye's report ;this episode deals with only the first of a tale in eighteen chapters .
The revealing silent movie has been kept and it's a good way to show the Britton way of life ; Boileau and Narcejac , who were fans of Leblanc , used the same trick for "d'entre les morts" which Hitchcock transferred to the screen as "Vertigo" (but with changes).
The cast is first-class: Claude Jade, who worked with Truffaut , is at once frail and resilient ; veteran George Marchal is the stubborn noble ,but eventually very wise; Jean-Paul Zenacker has a fascinating look which gives goose pimples : he's the megalomaniac , who is sure that the obscure prophecy which will make him a king will come true .
For all that,although utterly fascinating ,"l île aux trente cercueils",Leblanc's most cruel stressful novel remains utterly impossible ;it has nothing to do with the first Arsene Lupin stories ;although the hero intervenes as a deus ex machina late in the book ,something offbeat ,bizarre and supernatural infiltrated his adventures .
The historical context is WW1. The heroine ,Veronique works overtime (she hasn't had a day off since the beginning) as a nurse in a hospital ; the first episode includes a long flashback with scenes entirely written by the screenwriters based on the preface and on a private eye's report ;this episode deals with only the first of a tale in eighteen chapters .
The revealing silent movie has been kept and it's a good way to show the Britton way of life ; Boileau and Narcejac , who were fans of Leblanc , used the same trick for "d'entre les morts" which Hitchcock transferred to the screen as "Vertigo" (but with changes).
The cast is first-class: Claude Jade, who worked with Truffaut , is at once frail and resilient ; veteran George Marchal is the stubborn noble ,but eventually very wise; Jean-Paul Zenacker has a fascinating look which gives goose pimples : he's the megalomaniac , who is sure that the obscure prophecy which will make him a king will come true .