The Devil was busy at the time;not only he showed himself in the classic "Les Visiteurs Du Soir"(1942) but he also tempted a broke banker in this 1943 film.
jean -Paul Paulin was a director with ideas ,sometimes good ideas ('L'Esclave blanc","l'Abbé Constantin" ,"Le Chemin De L'Honneur"),but handicapped (except for the first of those three earlier works ) by spotty screenplays;for instance ,his damnation story cannot hold a candle to Maurice Tourneur's "La Main Du Diable" (1942) The script is too repetitive and there are too many finer feelings to create a disturbing atmosphere ;the girl from the salvation army is borrowed from Lacombe's "les Musiciens Du Ciel"(1939);besides Michele Alfa resembles Michele Morgan .
Seen today ,this movie which has a pretty good reputation is somewhat disappointing:some good scenes emerge now and then :the appearance of the Devil at night;the hero,the only member of the audience in the theater where "Faust" is performed (it will remind Tin Tin's fans of something);the character of the priest ,who has not got a clue of what is happening around him (do not expect another exorcism);the face of the evil who appears superimposed on every face on the street;the "accidents ",which ,in a way,predate the "Destination finale " series (yes it does,including the truck in the restaurant)
In short:watchable ,but do not miss "La Main Du Diable ",a genuine classic
