THE SLEEPING CAR MURDERS (COMPARTIMENT TUERS)

France, 1965, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Catherine Allegret, Jacques Perrin, Simone Signoret, Michel Piccoli, Pascale Roberts, Yves Montand, Charles Denner, Jean-Louis? Trintignant, Bernadette Lafont.
Directed by Costa-Gavras?.

The Sleeping Car Murders is a thriller, the first feature film by Costa- Gavras. However, in four years he was to become famous worldwide with his Oscar for the political film, Z. He had a very successful 1970s with his very strong political films after Z. They include The Confession, State of Siege, Special Section. In the 1980s he made Missing and Hanna K., as well as the American films Betrayed (about the Ku Klux Klan), and Music Box (about Nazi war trials). In the 1990s he made Mad City in the United States with John Travolta about a siege and the work of a journalist. Finally he made Amen, a film version of Rolf Hocchuth’s (**IMDB: Hochhuth) The Deputy, the film attacking Pius XII for collaboration with the Nazis.

This film is an entertaining murder mystery – enhanced by a top-rate cast of distinguished French actors.

1. The appeal of the murder mystery, the crime, clues, puzzle, characters? Detection? The quality of this murder mystery in terms of puzzle and clues, detection?

2. A French murder mystery, the use of so many prominent French film stars, the career of the director whose main interest was political? Black and white photography, Cinemascope, contemporary music and suspense themes? Possibility of audience identification with characters?

3. The atmosphere of the train, the movement of the train, the compartment, the transition to Paris, the city, police department, police work? Audience interest in the police work?

4. The introduction to the crime and detection via Daniel and Bambi? sympathy for them? Their stories of coming to the city, running away from school, hiding in the toilet and avoiding the ticket collector? The gradual involvement of Daniel, the danger to Bambi, their involvement in the crisis and the solution? The fact that they were young, audience attraction towards the young?

5. Was the film fair in presenting the mystery, sufficient clues?

6. The personality of the inspector, his role, boss, style, cold, his meeting with his wife, his work with his assistant, the continual harrassment? His clarity in working? His putting the clues together finally? A good example of a congenial detective?

7. The portrayal of the witnesses, their families? How real did the crime seem with such attention to detail on the train, the interviewing of various witnesses and family? The dead woman's sister and brother?in?law and their incessant talking? The workerwho was murdered and the sadness of his wife?

8. The focussing on Cavour on the train, his lustful attitudes towards the victim? Her brushing him off? The visualising of his story, his worry about reporting to the police, his visit to the boxing match, the impact of his being killed? A good character sketch of such a man?

9. The character sketch of Elaine Darras? As an actress, her style, her image of herself? On the train, her apartment with the gigolo? Her reaction towards the police? Her involvement in the mystery? The device of the letter being read by Daniel and Bambi? The visualising of the letter and the flashback technique for revealing the character of Darras, her work, visit to the vet with dog, growing infatuation with Eric? The ups and downs of their relationship, his youth, her age, her infatuation? The meaning of money? The clue to the ultimate solution of the mystery? Her murder and its impact? An effective character study of this kind of woman?

10. How important was Eric? The delineation of his character, work as a vet, his leading on of Elaine Darras, his life as gigolo? Gradual revelation of his involvement? His menacing Daniel in the bar? His breaking down and confessing to the police? A credible kind of villain?

11. The first victim's boyfriend, his incessant chatter, his being framed as regards collecting the money, the humour and irony of his critique of the police?

12. The character of the assistant detective, his access to information, his motivation for the crime? The fact that he took Daniel's phone call? The buildup to the denouement? Daniel in the phone, the hotel and the rescuing of Bambi? The build-up to the chase, the crash and the shootout? The murderer killing himself? An appropriate build-up of suspense for this kind of murder mystery? Audience interest and sympathies?

13. How much genuine character study is there in this kind of film? Analysis of human nature, good and evil, crime?