89
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrA film noir? A backstage musical? A whodunit? A comedy? In truth, it's all of the above -- plus a kinky love story, an absorbing melodrama, and a mordantly jaded snapshot of postwar Paris -- and all of them are wonderful.
- 100VarietyVarietyIn every respect it is outstanding.
- 100Baltimore SunMichael SragowBaltimore SunMichael SragowA gorgeous flirt of a murder movie.
- 91Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldSeattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldLike all great film noir, however, the real delight of this film is in its mood and atmosphere.
- 90Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranBrooding, beautifully made and almost impossible for Americans to see -- Quai des Orfèvres, makes a triumphant reappearance on theatrical screens after an absence of about 50 years.
- 90Washington PostStephen HunterWashington PostStephen HunterIt is in fact a traditional mystery more reminiscent of Agatha Christie than the reigning film noir aesthetic of 1947. But it's fabulously entertaining.
- 90Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe visual style has an expressionistic undertow, rich in shadowy chiaroscuro compositions.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThis pungently filmed 1947 melodrama doesn't rank with Clouzot classics like "Diabolique" and "The Wages of Fear," but it's full of hard-boiled charm and has a musical score that adds extra dimensions to its impact.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleAn excellent film noir.
- 60TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineWhile the story is thin, Clouzot uses his immense skills to raise the picture above the standard for the genre.