CAT AND MOUSE (LE CHAT ET LE SOURIS)

France, 1975, 108 minutes, Colour.
Michele Morgan, Serge Reggiani, Jean- Pierre Aumont, Philippe Leotard.
Directed by Claude Lelouch.

Cat and Mouse indicates stalking and playing and director Claude Lelouch, noted for his interest in love and marriage, crime, age, plays with his audience in a fragmented, time-shuffling, murder mystery that pleases, has some excellent individual sequences (frequently at meals), makes some social comment but lacks the inner intensity that it looks that it ought to have.

Michelle Morgan and Serge Reggiani, in their fifties, are admirable as the stars and the film relies on their strength, as well as their age, for its themes. But basically Lelouch is best working with the romantic variations on his 'Man and a Woman’ theme as he has been doing for so many years.

1. Audience interest in murder mysteries? The appeal of the deaths, motives, suspects, clues? The quality of this murder mystery and detection?

2. The contribution of the Gallic atmospheres, Paris, Normandy, the French Look, sound? Colour, music, atmosphere?

3. How important was the structure, the ordinary chronological details of the death and the investigation, the shuffling of time in memory and imagination, the slackness of the structure and its fragmented nature - was this deliberate or not?

4. The cage of the credits, the lift and the rising above Paris, the imaginative push by Mrs Richard? The introduction to her and to her husbands, their relationship, the mistress, the atmosphere of death and love? hatred? The husband’s belief that his wife loved him? How did this gear suspicions for the rest of the film?

5. What did the audience believe was the solution to the killing, the robbery? How much evidence was there? Opinion based on evidence? When did audience opinion change?

6. How important was Mrs Richard for the focus of the film? The quality of Michelle Morgan's performance, dignity, presence, age? The quality of the woman in being herself, her wealth and position? Her bearing, manner with people, for example, the servants, police? Was it possible that she killed her husband? Her being at the film, her reaction to his death and its seeming exaggeration, her reaction to the paintings, her behaviour at the funeral, the interrogation and the visualising of her memory and imagination? The question of the finance and the insurance? Her response to Lechat's visits? The discussions with him and the bond between them especially the sequences of eating together? Liking him? Her response to her son’s friend, lovers? The experience of the kidnapping and the shooting? The boat and the seeming solution? Her presence with Lechat at the interrogation and her reaction of Antoine and his wife, Manuelle? The scene showing her relationship with her husband, especially the meal and the discussion of divorce? How credible a character?

7. Lechat and the title of the film and its reference to him? First seeing him with the training of Sam, and Sam’s odd behaviour throughout the film - the comic touch? The bond with his assistant and his becoming his son-
in-law? Seeing him at the investigation, his theories and presuppositions? How strongly drawn was his personality? His relationship with the prostitute and going to Normandy with her and being disillusioned after a happy year? The bond with his daughter and their discussions? Audience response to his treatment of the counterfeiter and his taking his money and the justification of leading his assistant astray? His interviews with officialdom and the discussions about him and his being on the take? His work with timing the cab, the motor bike? The politics behind his pensioning? The bond between his son-in-law and daughter - and the meal? His work on the farm in Normandy, the writing of the book and his intuitions about the case? His continuing his investigations especially the interrogation of Daub, spying on Madame Richard, taking the painting, using the dog to terrorise people for interrogation? His quality in resolving the crimes?

8. The presentation of the murder situation - the personality and his explanation of his age, background, infatuation? The scenes with Manuelle? His work in films, the jewels for his wife, for Manuel? The scenes in which he reappeared for the meal, discussing divorce, with his son? The truth and the revelation of the suicide?

9. Antoine and his wife - the attention given to their characters and yet a distraction from the truth? Their presence but on the sidelines? The scene in the restaurant and audience suspicion of Antoine, the dog, his wife telling the truth and the flashbacks? The parallel with Lechat's treatment of the insurance man - the visits, interrogation, the visit to the racing track and the revelation about the kidnapping?

10. The portrait of Lachat’s assistant? A genial young man, learning his work from his father-in-law, admiring him? His surprise at taking the money? Hie lateness in arriving at the meal and the comic touches, the humour and atmosphere of the meal together and the transition to his marrying Lechat's daughter? His continued help?

11. The presentation of police methods - their presuppositions and theories, their freedom in movement, manner of interrogation? The points made about corruption leading to the revelation of political conspiracy for a left wing plot against the rich for political purposes? The character of Daub, the discussion with the minister, the plot and its repercussions? The irony of the use of the cigar scene and the minister circling?

12. Themes of marriage, liaisons, relationships between the young and old? The marriage of the Richards, their lovers? Lechat and the young prostitute, Manuelle and Richard, Robert? The ordinary marriage of the daughter and the policeman? Love, sexuality, as motives?

13.The world of wealth and fashion and the way it was presented?

14. The humour about the making of movies, the lady, the dog and the Rolls Royce, ‘in’ jokes?

15. The use of subjective shots, especially with the characters talking to the audience, hand-held camera, the circling of the camera on the car and the bike etc.?

16. How fashionable, modish, enjoyable? The irony of its being a mystery?