This represents an astonishing debut feature by any standards and it is to be lamented that it is all but forgotten now whilst its director Jeff Musso was fated to endure all kinds of filmic frustrations and cinematic conflicts and to finish as he had begun, directing documentaries. It was while sailing to the West Indies to direct one such documentary that he met novelist Liam 0'Flaherty. This encounter proved fortuitous as they were to collaborate on bringing 0'Flaherty's novel 'The Puritan' to the screen. Although originally set in Ireland its theme is international as it deals with the curse of religious fanaticism which is still alas very much with us.
Its distinctly Catholic fanaticism which caused it to be banned in New York and naturally the Irish Free State, is here embodied in the character of Ferriter who murders a woman of easy virtue. His crime represents the ultimate hypocrisy for although supposedly motivated by moral outrage it is in fact a crime of passion rooted in jealousy and sexual repression. He further compounds his hypocrisy by attempting to incriminate her lover whom he regards as his moral and intellectual inferior.
Jean-Louis Barrault is riveting as Ferriter and although extremely theatrical, his posturing self-righteousness certainly struck a chord with audiences at a time when fanaticism was sweeping the world.
In the relationship between Ferriter and Inspector Lavan there is a nod to that of Raskolnikov and Porfiry in 'Crime and Punishment. As in Dostoevsky's classic all that the detective has to do is to bide his time and give the suspect just enough rope.....
It does not exactly require a brilliant detective to deduce that Ferriter is guilty as from their first meeting he is clearly off his rocker. Lavan is played by the immaculate Pierre Fresnay in what could be seen as a prototype for his Commissaire Wens of the early 1940's.
The impact of the film is due in no small measure to these two superlative artistes and there is great support from Alexandre Rignault, Georges Flamant, Jean Tissier and the gorgeous Viviane Romance who has gone blonde in this as a tart with a heart.
Everything is in the director's favour here as he also has the services of art directors Ménessier and Piménoff, cinematographer Curt Courant and composer Jacques Dallin who collaborated on the score with Musso who himself had a musical background.
Considering its great performances, timeless theme and being awarded what was then the highest French accolade, the Prix Louis Delluc, its subsequent obscurity is puzzling. We should at least be grateful that Musso was afforded the chance to make it.
