La Verité (1960)

☆ ☆ ☆

La Verité (1960) – H. G. Clouzot

Strongly reminiscent of the decadent Parisian milieu of Claude Chabrol’s Les Cousins (1959) which also sees a young person from the country come to the big smoke to get involved in the decadent life on the Left Banke.  However, this time we follow Brigitte Bardot and it is sometimes difficult to know whether the film is meant to be provocative cheesecake or something deeper.  Bardot’s story is framed by a courtroom drama, since she is accused of murdering her ex-lover, a young classical conductor, recently engaged to her sister.  There is no doubt that she is the killer, only whether she deserves the death penalty or something lighter (the French system of jurisprudence seems rather different than the US version, with the judge posing questions and more than one lawyer pitted against her and her team).  Most of the movie is composed of flashbacks detailing Bardot’s version of events, describing how she toyed with the young conductor who eventually became tired of her endless cheating.  Bardot certainly commands attention and runs the gamut of emotions, both in the flashbacks and in the courtroom – but she isn’t likeable.  The “truth” being pointed out is that society is wrong to judge young people seeking a different life for themselves, those who don’t want to conform to past or current norms.  The lawyers present both sides, for and against the new freedom; Bardot is caught in the middle.  The director, H. G. Clouzot, known for Les Diaboliques, The Wages of Fear, and Le Corbeau, doesn’t really distinguish himself, although the film does capture its time and place.