Mississippi Mermaid
- Catherine Deneuve: Julie Roussel / Marion Bergamo
- Jean -Paul Belmondo: Louis Mahé
- Michel Bouquet: Comolli
- Nelly Borgeaud: Berthe
- Marcel Berbert: Jardine
The secret of the false bride ( original French title: La sirène du Mississippi ) is a French film directed by François Truffaut in 1969, the screenplay was written by Truffaut based on the novel "Waltz Into Darkness " by Cornell Woolrich ( under the pseudonym William Irish ). .
Action
About a Marriage ad to learn the cigarette manufacturer Louis Mahé, who lives on the island of Réunion, and know Julie Roussel. Mahé she knows only from letters and from a photo as she arrives with the liner Mississippi in the harbor. In reality, however, is the wife Marion Bergamo. She later admits that her companion Richard Julie Roussel has encountered the crossing of board and they adopted their identity. The photo of Julie explained by the fact that they had sent a photo of a friend from modesty.
Louis and the alleged Julie married. Louis loves his wife so much that he wipes all emerging suspicions aside until Marion blows with all his money. From his supposed sister ( the sister of the real Julie ) he is aware of his momentous mistake. He instructed the detective Comolli. Louis finds Marion but randomly on its own in the Côte d' Azur again - and wants to kill her. He falls in love anew in them and squander his money together, because the stolen money Richard had taken.
Unexpectedly appears Comolli and Marion will bring to the police. Louis kills him because he wants to be with her. They flee into the Alps. Louis noted that Marion is trying to poison him slowly. He accepts it and says it in her face, whereupon they both realize that they love each other.
You want to venture a third attempt. In the end, it remains unclear whether they will make it together.
Criticism
Filmdienst: A superbly played, staged with ambiguous irony drama that will never be understood as " reality ", rather than play with ciphers and signs.
Background
The film is heavily based on Hitchcock and used motifs from several Hitchcock classics, including Vertigo, Marnie and suspicion. Truffaut: "I want the Hitchcock - like compared with detractors admit that his films are similar to comic strips, but comic strips are ideal and great."
The film is dedicated to Jean Renoir.
2001 was filmed again Waltz Into Darkness, entitled Original Sin.