Back to the Wall

The wealthy industrialist Jacques Decret finds out that his wife Gloria is having an affair with a young stage actor. He does not shout, and he does not ask for a divorce. Instead he starts sending her unsigned letters and makes her believe her lover is writing them. The harder Gloria struggles to get out from under that pressure, the deeper she goes into the trap that has been built. Édouard Molinaro's first feature is one of the cold-blooded examples of French noir. The story is told in the husband's voice; the man explains what he is doing calmly, and that calm is the most uncomfortable thing about the film. Jeanne Moreau plays Gloria and Gérard Oury the husband. Molinaro would later be known for his comedies; the tone here is the opposite, closed off and merciless.