Director Henri-Georges Clouzot's maiden feature-length effort was the intricate mystery thriller The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (L'Assassin habite au 21). Businesslike homicide detective Wens (Pierre Fresnay) goes on the prowl for a methodical mass murderer, who seemingly manages to be everywhere at once. Following a confusing trail of clues to a seedy boarding house, Wens disguises himself as a clergyman in order to gain the confidence of the boarders, hoping that one of them will make that fatal slip. All of the boarders are eventually taken into custody, only to be released when the murders continue unabated. Wens cracks the case when he figures out that the seemingly contradictory clues are the by-product of a bizarre conspiracy. Filmed in 1942 under wartime conditions, The Murderer Lives at Number 21 was finally released in the U.S. five years later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
“连环杀手”洗脱罪名的最有效方法就是有帮手能够继续作案。片子的喜剧色彩大于悬疑色彩，克鲁佐对影子的运用非常精湛，尤其是抓捕那名被怀疑的房客一段，同样用窗户阴影来象征牢笼和绳索。
Théâtre filmé...
传统型定点寻凶
#SHNU//三星半//比起悬疑元素 喜剧元素占比更重 有趣得不行 比如上报纸就能签约比如潜伏到潜伏的对象身边比如没有头绪就挤个黑头//光影和镜头的运用也很有趣 显而易见的牢笼设计 充满趣味的任务分配转场 以及凶手行凶的主观镜头//不过以这样的作案模式来说 凶手的作案动机显然过于简单不够充足 法国警方虽不聪明但再过些时日凶手也会自露马脚//这还是占领时期拍的片啊
