Dad helped me choose this from among the Norman Lloyd collection showing at the AFI Silver Theater (a rather random choice, as he gets little screen time). I'm not sure why Dad favored it. It wasn't the star power; I've barely heard of anyone in the credits. Its reception has been pretty good but not outstanding. Offhand, I'd say it's the unenviable setting: France under Maximilien de Robespierre.
Early on, I thought things were a little over the top. Part of that comes, I suppose, from a hurry to set the stage, first with a synopsis of the Revolution thus far and then with short, sharp "present" scenes. It seemed like Robespierre was all too eager to persuade the masses to convict and execute men he'd recently treated as friends. In retrospect, I see a likely reason: It sends the message that nobody can assume safety. It wasn't called the Reign of Murder, after all; fear carried about as much importance for control as the actual deaths.
In such trying times, even the heroes of the piece often deal in treachery. The main one, Charles d'Aubigny, wastes little time sneaking up on, killing, and thereafter impersonating Duval, "the Terror of Strasbourg." Another, Madelon, first meets Charles under conditions that could easily have led either to kill the other, yet we soon see the seeds of romance. Several other interesting figures come and go, all the while demonstrating that it takes more than a common enemy to ensure a trusty friendship.
Oh yeah, the black book: Robespierre confides to "Duval" that it contains a list of men he deems enemies of the state, along with whatever evidence he's found or concocted for a conviction (not that anyone gets a real trial). Much of his power lies in keeping everyone guessing. If anyone publicized the list, he'd lose his chance to become a full-fledged dictator -- to say the least. That tells Charles and other enemies what they need to do, but Robespierre is too clever to make it easy....
Apart from the intense action (for an oldie), the main joy of this film is in the intrigue. With twists at every turn, even history buffs should have difficulty guessing what happens next. We do know, of course, that the ending can be only so happy, but Dad and I walked out happy to have seen it.
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