Night at the Crossroads

There are three houses at a crossroads, and in the garage of one of them the body of a Dutch diamond dealer is found in a stolen car. The car belongs to Michonnet, an insurance man. The garage is attached to the house of Carl Andersen and his sister Else. Inspector Maigret comes out to the scene and stays there; nobody is telling the truth and the rain never lets up. The source is Georges Simenon's novel, and Maigret is played by Pierre Renoir, the director's older brother. The film is famous not for its plot but for how hard it is to follow: scenes do not quite join up and some things are left unexplained. People have been arguing about why for years; some point to lost reels, some to the money running out. Jean Renoir himself said he did not understand the film either. Even so, for the fog at the crossroads and the atmosphere of the night, it is counted among the most striking examples of the genre.