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One of the crop of films produced during the Occupation to keep the population happy, it was presumably billed as escapist comedy. It's actually quite black comedy, with the central theme being a good-natured bloke down on his luck being blackmailed to murder an inconvenient innocent who he can't help liking. The sharp edge helps to keep the interest up even in the 21st century, and having seen the film I can finally understand why Charles Trenet was once supposed to have had charm.One interesting thing given that it was made in full German occupation - the gypsies in the film, somewhat romanticised though they may be, are clearly on the side of the angels and by no means insignificant in the plot; and what's more, prejudice against them is discredited as the villains - who are really B-A-A-D for a comedy - use it to shake off responsibility for the intended murder.It's dated, of course, but it's still genuinely enjoyable, and proves that the French cinema did produce unpretentious quality during the war without major compromise.
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