L’affaire Maurizius (Der Fall Maurizius)

The film adaptation of Jakob Wassermann's factual novel about a miscarriage of justice was a long-cherished dream project of Duvivier. In flashbacks, this didactic play about lies, guilt and despair tells the story of the conviction of Léonard Maurizius (Daniel Gélin), who allegedly killed his wife (Madeleine Robinson). The vehement approach of the ambitious public prosecutor (Charles Vanel) in particular led to a guilty verdict, as did the testimony of the dubious key witness Grégoire Waremme (Anton Walbrook). 18 years later, the prosecutor's son (Jacques Chabassol) becomes aware of the case. Desperate about his father's hard-heartedness, he sets out to find the crucial witness Waremme himself, who has apparently changed his name and appearance. Jean-José Richer wrote in Cahiers du cinéma in July 1954: "With the figure of the old professor, the wreck-false-witness-child molester type, German Expressionism is revived and adapted to the present. Anton Walbrook 'janningst' at will." (Frederik Lang)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum