A well made and competently performed production with some spotlights as the splendid music , the black/white photography , the subjective sight point at a twisted criminal plot . A good thriller containing exciting scenes , atmostheric photography , and urban environment , usual to Noir film . An entrepreneur called Paco Ibáñez (Tomas Blanco) whose enterprise is bankrupt decides to fake his own death with a special complicity , as submitting to his spouse and lover to a sentimental blackmail . As his main accomplices result to be his wife Arlette (Susana Campos) and her lover, a doctor named Andrés Laplaza (Yves Massard) in charge of signing his death . So he can collect a life insurance of five million pesetas, and the lovers will have the free way to get married . All of them are engaged into a daring swindle they hope will be the beginning of a new life . But things go awry when they are blackmailed by a suspicious old woman (Ana Maria Noe) and a Police Inspector (Felix Fernández) investigates the weird deeds .
The picture is developed with suspense , emotion , and the intriguing events are unfolded with absolute logic until the final outcome . An effective, properly made and nicely interpreted production and also contributing occasionally some novelties , including social aspects , social corruption , money evasion to Switzerland and many other things . Based on a play by Jaime Salom that had success , as national as international : Europe and South America . Ives Massard -who worked in ¨Calle Mayor¨- gives a good acting as an unfortunate but ambitious young Doctor and desiring to improve his existence and to earn a lot of money by whatsever mean . As usual by the Francoist time , the adulterous woman is played by a foreign woman , here the gorgeous Susana Campos . Outstanding the attractive presence of Susana Campos who has an international and Hollywood aspect but she was born in Argentina , she plays a Femme fatale using her sex-pot attractive. Along with a decent support cast such as the veteran Tomás Blanco as the suspect businessman , Ana María Noé , Luis Induni , Gerad Tichy , and Félix Fernández .
This nice film belongs to the Spanish Noir Film whose main center was in Barcelona ; other great titles also located within a Barcelona production are "Distrito Quinto" (Julio Coll,1957), ¨Brigada criminal¨(1950) Ignacio F Iquino , ¨Un vaso de Whisky¨(Julio Coll) , or "A Tiro Limpio" (1963), by Francisco Pérez-Dolz , or ¨A sangre fría¨ (1959) by Juan Bosch , ; besides , ¨091 Policia al habla¨ by Jose Maria Forque and the best Noir resulted to be "Los Peces Rojos".The usual characters respond to the classic archetypes from Film Noir : a young and ambitious man who will be responsible for signing the death certificate become involved into criminal life , an evil woman , a Femme fatale , who maneuvers on her own using his beauty ; and some professional criminals predisposed to crime and the ordinary treason .
Being masterfully photographed in Noir style by Ricardo Albiñana , full of ligts and shades . Mostly filmed in atmospheric scenarios on location in Gerona under intense rain , and others nearly places , as well as interiors filmed in IFI (Ignacio F Iquino) studios . Enjoyable and atmospheric musical score by Federico Martinez Tudo .The motion picture was compellingly directed by Josep Maria Forn , being well paced , but imitating the American Noir . However , being a real flop , as boxoffice as critics. . It was contemptuously deemed and unjustly forgotten , but nowsadays, being well valued . He managed to make a fluid and filled with intrigue , twits , turns ; and in average but enough budget . After failing with ¨Muerte al Atardecer¨(1959) Forn attempt to rise his production Company ¨Teide¨ and he made this film . Forn is a good writer and director, known for ¿Pena de muerte? , 1961 La vida privada de Fulano de Tal , 1960 La rana verde ,, 1963 José María , La piel quemada (1967), La barca sin pescador , 1963 La ruta de los narcóticos , Subjúdice (1998) and El coronel Macià (2006) , among others .
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