Spotlight on a Murderer

This 1961 film from French director Georges Franju is an Agatha Christie-like mystery set in an ancient castle where the surviving relatives of a dying uncle have gathered for the reading of his will. The would-be heirs find themselves stuck when the old man disappears (he steps into a secret room hidden by a one-way mirror and expires in an easy chair during the opening scene) and they must wait five years before he can be declared dead and they can inherit his wealth. As they turn the old castle into a tourist attraction with a mix of old-fashioned special effects and modern electronics to raise money for its upkeep, the heirs start dying off in "accidents" arranged by a mysterious killer seen only as a set of black-gloved hands. Jean-Louis Trintignant stars as the young hero who sends his giddy girlfriend (Dany Saval) away as the killings begin, becoming both amateur detective and suspect. Written by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, the story borrows from classics such as And Then There Were None and The Cat and the Canary, and is presented in an elegant style while also adding wit to the tale's Gothic conventions. Extras include an archival behind-the-scenes featurette, and a booklet. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)