Just saw this on the Talking Pictures channel (UK old films and TV). They've also just started re-running the entire 4 series of the Rupert Davies version, BBC, early 60s.
This French version has a slow pace (nearly 2 hours), and that allows a lot of time (too much?) for lingering thoughtful looks and pauses.
Maigret is well characterised, matching the book description, but this version (made in Prague for locations) hardly ever features trusty aide Lucas -- who I don't recall being absent from any of the books?!
This story features an attack, on a businessman who'd come from being a canal worker, now runs boats and other firms, has a family, a mistress, and who's that odd mostly silent girl on his friend's barge??
The director has to portray the man as being nasty enough to have many people who might want to do him in, but also popular as the biggest local employer, and forgiven for being a womaniser of many affairs.
Soon there is an actual death, his rather feeble son commits suicide, and leaves a note saying he had tried to kill his father. Maigret doesn't believe a word of it, but the man won't talk about who his attacker had been (and had stabbed him).
A day or two later, and a further death, the lock-keeper's son, who'd avoided talking much to Maigret, he's also hanging -- but what is that bang he had on the head?
Soon Maigret knows what happened, who the girl really is, who'd fathered her child (widely thought to be the businessman), why she was on a boat that never went anywhere, and why the son had owned up to a crime he didn't commit. So, he got to the bottom of the attack, and the 2 deaths, but he might a well have got to the bottom of the Seine, for all most viewers might care?
Most of the characters are quite unlikeable, and well before the end I'd nodded off, but on waking I didn't care that much who had 'dunnit'. Doubtless other episodes will be better, but this one to us was a clunker.
This French version has a slow pace (nearly 2 hours), and that allows a lot of time (too much?) for lingering thoughtful looks and pauses.
Maigret is well characterised, matching the book description, but this version (made in Prague for locations) hardly ever features trusty aide Lucas -- who I don't recall being absent from any of the books?!
This story features an attack, on a businessman who'd come from being a canal worker, now runs boats and other firms, has a family, a mistress, and who's that odd mostly silent girl on his friend's barge??
The director has to portray the man as being nasty enough to have many people who might want to do him in, but also popular as the biggest local employer, and forgiven for being a womaniser of many affairs.
Soon there is an actual death, his rather feeble son commits suicide, and leaves a note saying he had tried to kill his father. Maigret doesn't believe a word of it, but the man won't talk about who his attacker had been (and had stabbed him).
A day or two later, and a further death, the lock-keeper's son, who'd avoided talking much to Maigret, he's also hanging -- but what is that bang he had on the head?
Soon Maigret knows what happened, who the girl really is, who'd fathered her child (widely thought to be the businessman), why she was on a boat that never went anywhere, and why the son had owned up to a crime he didn't commit. So, he got to the bottom of the attack, and the 2 deaths, but he might a well have got to the bottom of the Seine, for all most viewers might care?
Most of the characters are quite unlikeable, and well before the end I'd nodded off, but on waking I didn't care that much who had 'dunnit'. Doubtless other episodes will be better, but this one to us was a clunker.