La maison sous les arbres (1971)

Director:

René Clément

Writers:

Sidney Buchman (scenario) &
Eleanor Perry (scenario) ...

Release Date:

5 November 1971 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

The FEAR of the unknown...The AGONY Of A kidnapped child...And the CREEPING DREAD of madness!

Plot:

Jill is surprised and angry when her computer-genius boyfriend decides to quit his job in a big company for unclear reasons...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Faye Dunaway	...	Jill
Frank Langella	...	Philippe
Barbara Parkins	...	Cynthia
Karen Blanguernon	...	Miss Hansen
Raymond Gérôme	...	Commissaire Chameille
Michele Lourie	...	Cathy (as Michèle Lourie)
Patrick Vincent	...	Patrick
Gérard Buhr	...	Le psychiatre / Psychiatrist
Louise Chevalier
Maurice Ronet	...	L'homme de l'organisation / Stranger
Tener Eckelberry
Massimo Farinelli
Jill Larson
Robert Lussac
Franco Ressel

Also Known As:

Death Scream
The Deadly Trap (USA)
The House Under the Trees
Unico indizio: una sciarpa gialla (Italy)

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Les Films Corona

Je Ne Comprends Pas...

The one-line summary of this review is French, translates itself as "I don't understand" and actually refers to several aspects of this film… I read several articles where acclaimed critics and fellow directors reward Réné Clément with the title of "the French Hitchcock". I sincerely hope they didn't base this recognition on seeing "The Deadly Trap" and, if so, I don't understand. I also don't understand half of what's going on this movie and I most certainly don't understand (or better yet: refuse to accept) how anyone dares to deliver such a completely incoherent and deceptively pretentious mess of a film! "The Deadly Trap" revolves on – believe it or not – absolutely NOTHING! At least until very late into the second half of the film, it doesn't. Faye Dunaway and Frank Langella star as a married couple living in Paris with their two children. He behaves increasingly suspicious and secretive regarding his employment (and I do mean secretive, as we never get told what exactly he does for a living) and she portrays the good housewife slowly but surely descending in a downwards spiral of paranoia and insanity. Jill continuously fears that the children will become the target of malignant individuals, but Philippe hardly ever listens to a word she's saying. Then, of course, the children do get kidnapped by an organization that wants 'something' from Philippe in exchange for the children's lives. Even during this crucial point in the movie, we still haven't got a clue what it is they want (except for 'information') and the supposedly worldwide and dangerous organization imprisons the children in a nearby house with only one female babysitter to guard them. That's just totally retarded. Réné Clément's direction is flat and uninspired and he doesn't even make full use of the wondrously picturesque Parisian filming locations. The original French title means "The House under the Trees" and refers to the organization's hideout, but the beautiful house only features in the film for approximately 2,5 minutes. Faye Dunaway, at the top of her ravishing beauty around that time, is the only positive note I can bring myself to write about this unimaginably disappointing movie. She's quite convincing in her role, even though she probably didn't know what it was about, neither.