Following his hair-raising escape from Germany, Kurt Bernhardt made four films in France of which this is the last. As well as being a landmark in Film Noir it is also an early example of the 'amnesia thriller' and it is little wonder that on his arrival in Hollywoodland he was offered a seven-year contract although his subsequent material was uneven, to say the least.
Its themes of identity and memory are of timeless appeal and here one of France's finest and longest-lived actors Charles Vanel brings an air of melancholy to his role of Vétheuil/Pelletier with the splendid Jules Berry perfectly cast as a blackmailer and Suzy Prim portraying doomed romance in her inimitable fashion.
What strikes one most is the astonishingly atmospheric, chiaoscuro cinematography but of course one would expect nothing less from the legendary Léonce-Henri Burel whilst the same comment would apply to the stunning set designs by Jean d'Eaubonne. The razor-sharp editing, so essential in films of this genre, is by Georges Lantz. It has been argued by some that French Noir of this period exerted a stronger influence on American cinema than did German Expressionism and the influence of Bernhardt's stylish piece is certainly there for all to see.
Hollywood could not resist a glitzy remake in 1942 directed by Jack Conway which alas lacks the requisite 'edge' whilst the British version from 1940 is directed by Thomas Bentley so one need say no more!
