The Adventures of Arsene Lupin
Director: Jacques Becker
Year: 1957
Country: France
Rating: 6.0
Robert Lamoureux plays Arsène Lupin in
the first of two films about the gentleman thief. The next one was Signé:
Arsène Lupin in 1959. This is a very low-key affair without a lot
of thrills but a decent amount of charm and sumptuous interiors. It is directed
by Jacques Becker considered one of France's most artistic directors with
Casque d'Or, Touchez pas au grisbi and Le Trou. Here he seems to be
taking it easy with a script that just whimsically meanders along. Within
the 90-minute running time are three capers by Lupin aka André Laroche
that are unconnected from one another. All three are simple enough - he only
needs to change his appearance.
In the first he just walks into a party
being given by the Premier of France and has his men turn off the lights.
In the dark he picks up two paintings and tosses them to his men - behind
the third painting he leaves a note that it is a fake. In the second, he
has jewelers bring valuable diamonds over to his hotel room and has a manicurist
call him into the next room and has a hole that allows him to steal the jewels
from the next room. Nothing very complicated here. The third isn't much more
- though it involves the Kaiser (O.E. Hasse) and a beautiful Baroness (Liselotte
Pulver). Genteel thefts. We have become so used to complicated capers and
mounds of technology that this feels a bit underwhelming.
It is easy going watching, there is never
any doubt he will be successful and the depiction of French society around
1910 is well-done. I enjoyed it even though not much happens. It is a bit
surprising that the film is so mellow as Becker was responsible for the terrific
noir Touchez Pas au Grisbi and the tense prison escape film Le Trou.
Signe: Arsene
Lupin
Director: Jacques Becker Year:
1957 Country:
France Rating:
6.0 Robert Lamoureux
makes for a fine Arsene Lupin. He had played the same character two years
earlier in The Adventures of Arsene Lupin. He is suave, charming, handsome,
calm and clever - everything a gentleman thief should be. Since the Lupin
books first started hitting bookshelves in 1905 from the pen of Maurice LeBlanc,
films have followed. All over the world. France, the USA, Mexico, Japan and
Italy have all produced films based on the character. Gentleman thieves have
always captured the imagination of the public whether it is Lupin or the
Saint or The Lone Wolf. We don't seem to mind people stealing from
the wealthy as long as violence is not used.
WWI is over and Arsene aka André
Laroche is convalescing at a hospital after becoming a national hero as a
fighter pilot. One of his old confederates Ballu (Yves Robert, also the director)
is the chauffer of an elegant woman Aurélia (Alida Valli) who has
come to visit him. Ballu tells Arsene of a potential target - a home
on an island filled with classic paintings. Arsene bites and leaves the hospital
to go back home to his plush apartment and his man-servant Albert (Jacques
Dufilho). He comes up with an ingenious plan to put everyone in the house
to sleep and easily slips in. But Ballu betrays him by stealing one of the
paintings and informs the police that the home is being robbed. Lupin needless
to say takes on a different identity and escapes. But why did Ballu steal
only that one painting.
It turns out to be one of three medieval
paintings that have clues to a treasure! Where was Nicolas Cage when he was
needed. Arsene takes it as a challenge to find the treasure before Ballu
and his gang do. With the help of the always reliable Albert. It is good
fun as they try and outwit each other and the mysterious Aurélia keeps
showing up. A reporter and the police also enter the game. Nicely shot in
crisp black and white and location shooting in Italy and France.
