“I’m willing to forget my code of ethics to avoid inconvenience.”
In a sleepy little coastal town, famous Catholic author, Raoul Mons (Jacques Dacqmine) is found dead–naked on the beach and with the word pig written on his body. Suspicion immediately falls on the members of an acting troupe who were scheduled to perform a play in town until Raoul brought charges of blasphemy and used his clout to have the play cancelled. Inspecteur Lavardin (Jean Poiret) is called in to solve the crime. Coincidentally, Lavardin is a former lover of Raoul’s new widow, Helene (Bernadette Lafonte). Lavardin takes advantage of the relationship to move into the Mons house and gather clues to find the killer.
There’s a peculiar atmosphere to the household. Helene lives there with her brother, Claude (Jean-Claude Brialy) and a daughter from her first marriage, Veronique (Hermine Clair). It’s obvious that no one mourns Raoul’s absence–in fact, apart from the empty chair at the dinner table, no one misses him at all. Helene is still mourning the death of her first husband who died 5 years before. Helene’s odd brother Claude paints eyeballs all day long. Is he a harmless eccentric or is he a dangerous parasite? Meanwhile mousy Veronique sneaks out of the house to attend a local disco, and everyone pretends to be unaware of her midnight activities. Lavardin scrapes away at the family’s respectable veneer to discover the truth behind Raoul’s murder. After a little snooping, Lavardin discovers that Raoul Mons wasn’t quite the moralist he portrayed himself to be, and “his public image conflicted with his nature.”
French director Claude Chabrol is often called the French Alfred Hitchcock, and while the film isn’t suspenseful, the plot contains an intricate web of deceit. The interest here is in the film’s characters. Everyone has something to hide, and Lavardin digs away patiently through the lies. Lavardin is a truly marvelous character–very low key, and easy to underestimate. He strikes up a mentor relationship with a gormless sidekick he names Watson, and Lavardin’s benign persona causes the suspects to drop their guard. Fans of Chabrol should enjoy Inspecteur Lavardin. It’s a respectable addition to this director’s long, impressive filmmaking career. In French with English subtitles.
