A Man's Head
dir. Julien Duvivier · 1933
Plot
Willy Ferrière is a gambler living beyond his means, and his mistress is as greedy as he's dead broke. One day, he says out of loud in a a Montparnasse café that he would give 100,000 francs to get rid of his wealthy aunt so he could claim his inheritance. Someone secretly lets Willy know it's a deal. The old lady is murdered, and a low-life criminal is manipulated to be the perfect suspect. But Superintendant Maigret feels something is wrong.
Why watch
Willy Ferrière, a desperate gambler, casually suggests in a café that he would pay to eliminate his wealthy aunt for her inheritance. When his wish is granted through a sinister twist of fate, the ensuing chaos reveals the dark underbelly of greed and manipulation. Watching this film is like stepping into a shadowy world where every character's motives are suspect, and the line between victim and villain blurs with every twist.
Talking points
- the ethics of crime
- the influence of wealth on morality
- the role of fate in human actions