DEEP WATERS (EAUX PROFONDES)

France, 1981, 94 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Huppert, Jean- Louis Trintignant, Robin Renucci, Philippe Clevenot.
Directed by Michel Deville.

Deep Water is taken from a novel by Patricia Highsmith, an American author who has attracted many European directors e.g. Wim Wenders and the American Friend, Claude Miller and The Sweet Sickness (Tell Her That I Love Her). She was the author of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. This is a psychological thriller, more interested in power and manipulation rather than the actual violence of the killings. It is a French attempt to re-create an American atmosphere - which still seems particularly Gallic. The film has an excellent cast with yet another different performance from Isabelle Huppert. Jean- Louis Trintignant is effective as the weak yet malicious husband. The film explores relationships, love and hate, jealousy and possessiveness.

1. An interesting and effective crime thriller? Character study? Psychological thriller? Questions of relationships, violence, responsibility?

2. The novels of Patricia Highsmith and her being attractive to European directors? The strength of her character-drawing? The focus on interaction? Love, guilt? Suspense about character relationships and unpredictable behaviour?

3. The American setting - with the French touch? How credible? Characters, behaviour? Cultural atmosphere? The use of locations? The heavy score?

4. The focus on Dick and his situation? Melanie and his love for her, possessiveness? Potential for violence or not? Revelation of his jealousy? Suspicions, a voyeur? His stories and their being made up (or true)? His frightening people? Work, friends, relationship with Marion? His external devotion? His wanting to take care of Melanie? A mysterious type?

5. The introduction to Melanie and her dancing, sensuality, love for Vic, provocative? How innocent? At home? Her relationship with Marion?

6. Joel and his being scared off? Ralph and the night?

7. Carlo and his coming to the party, the swim? The premeditation, the fact, the cover-up, the inquest - and the reaction of Melanie?

8. The detective, the discovery? The Millers and the visit of the wife?

9. Cameron: flirting. clarinet, meal, the snails. the divorce - leading to the death and the detail?

10. The intercutting of Marion and the piano, the dog. the evening? The build-up to the accusations?

11. The twisting of motives? The credibility of Vic's behaviour? His madness? His manipulation and manoeuvring of the whole scenario?

12. The picnic? "I was afraid"? Melanie and her suspicions, reaction? Her affection for the men? Response to the deaths? Accepting the bond with Vic? Going home?

13. The ordinary background of love, family, marriage, work, socialising, friends.. visitors? obsessions seen within this ordinary background? Passion in the suburbs? Repression? Provocation? Guilt? (A variation on the Samson and Delilah story?)