Panique - 1947 - 6/10
Some never catch a break.
Take Monsieur Hire. He keeps to himself, pays bills promptly and in full, does not gossip, is nice to children.
And yet – he is a bit of a social outcast, even though he has lived in the village three years.
When an elderly spinster is murdered in an empty lot, citizens start looking for the killer in their midst.
A mysterious woman arrives, and Monsieur Hire casts his lonely gaze her way.
This is a film of surface appearances, simmering with suspicion and mob fury.
I suspect Panique resonated strongly when released in post WWII France.
Occupation, collaboration and the Vichy government were fresh in memories.