English title: Extenuating Circumstances
A retired judge and his wife leave on a trip to a spa town but are forced to stop halfway due to car troubles. They stay at a modest inn nearby. Their proximity with the people who frequent that place acquaints them with the other side of the law.
This film successfully depicts petty criminals and their environment and language. The narrative is entertaining initially but gets silly as it advances, finally ending in a tackily moralizing way. The fraternization of different social classes seemed to be a thing in French cinema in 1939; this film and La règle du jeu were released only a few days from each other. That film featured the working class, whereas this one is populated by the criminal one.
Rating: 41
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