The granddaddy of "Michel Vaillant" ,the movie (the comic strip already existed),"Le Circuit De Minuit" has little to recommend it.A racing-car drama ,the circuit scenes have since been dwarfed by those of "red line 7000" (Hawks) or "Grand Prix " (Frankenheimer)and Cinerama.
As for the plot,it's the trite story of a car manufacturer ,short of the readies ,who asks his wife for money (for she owns the fortune). She refuses for her dad bankrupted himself and she could not stand poverty again.He contemplates suicide but someone comes to his rescue and there's still hope:they can win the "Circuit De Minuit" ,a motor race . Besides,there's a another woman who cares for him.
Blanchette Brunoy (Renoir's "La Bete Humaine" ,Becker's "Goupi Mains Rouges" ) and Albert Préjean (Carné's "Jenny" ,Siomak's "Mollenard")are here mere shadows of their former selves.
