Considering this is Georges Franju's third feature, coming only a year after Eyes Without a Face and with a script by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac of Les Diaboliques and Vertigo fame, this is a surprisingly slight film. But there is mystery, charm and wonder throughout, helped enormously by the fantastic Breton castle setting. It is the soundtrack that quickly alerts the viewer to a musical box element of magic that will fun through the film that is at once dramatic with several deaths and slightly comedic at the same time. There is a charming on set featurette included on the Arrow Blu-ray disc that has the various cast members smiling and laughing, even Jean Louis Trintignant, and seems to epitomise the delightful and playful feel of this charming feature.

It's not a masterpiece, it's not even a great film but it is interesting and it's a film that should be seen by anyone with a serious interest in the medium. Franju, even when not firing on all cylinders is not someone to be dismissed because there will always be a germ, an element, that is worth a look, or a second or third. No one seems to have noticed the obvious flaw in the ointment: the premise - not unlike that in Laughter In Paradise - centres on an eccentric personage faced with death and desirous of making his heirs jump through hoops before getting their hands on his money. In this case the heirs cannot inherit until five years have elapsed (unless his missing corpse is located before that time-limit expires. Not only that but during those five years the deceased's large chateau must be maintained. Strangley enough ALL the heirs have nothing pressing to occupy them i.e. no lives, and are free to drop everything and put their shoulders to the wheel. Once you get past this improbability there is much to enjoy, not least atmosphere, Franju's stock in trade.

When he learns his days are numbered, old count Hervé de Kéraudren decides to hide in a secret alcove and to die there, just to annoy his heirs. As a result of his body not being found the latter will have to wait for five years until they can inherit the count's money.

The actors, for the most part, are not big names and may not be recognizable to American audiences. Star Pierre Brasseur had previously appeared in Georges Franju's "Eyes Without a Face". His co-star, Pascale Audret, was less well-known in film, but happens to be the mother of Julie Dreyfus, who appeared in the Quentin Tarantino films "Kill Bill" and "Inglourious Basterds".

The marketing folks describe the plot as a delightfully playful romp through Agatha Christie territory, which is quite accurate with some nods to "Ten Little Indians", among others. Some critics have said it is a "rehash" of Christie, though this is not quite fair as the references are tongue-in-cheek. The script comes to us from the writing team of Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, of "Les Diaboliques" and "Vertigo" fame.

If you know Franju, you obviously know "Eyes Without a Face" and have probably seen "Judex". But this one might have escaped you. Indeed, reviews at the time were not favorable and it seems to have gone into obscurity. Current reviews do still warn that the characters are generally flat, and the film really earns its merits on the plot and direction rather than from any deeper message or connection. Perhaps due to Franju's posthumous reputation, "Spotlight" is viewed more favorably today than ever before (and rightly so).

The Arrow Video Blu-ray is a bit light on material, which is unfortunate because they really scooped up a great title here that would have been a nice fit for Criterion. But we do get a vintage production featurette from 1960, shot on location and including interviews with Georges Franju and actors Pascale Audret, Pierre Brasseur, Marianne Koch, Dany Saval and Jean-Louis Trintignant. An audio commentary or video essay would have been icing on the cake, but sometimes just having the cake is enough.