I have heard and read a few accounts as to how this film nearly did not get made because no one was interested, but then Signoret apparently had worked with Costa-Gavras when he was still an apprentice assistant director, liked his approach and offered to play a part, and that somehow got her hubby, Montand, interested too. With those two big weights behind the production, Costa-Gavras managed to get a budget going, which also meant that the cast steadily included more and more up and coming French thespians, including already well known names like Jean-Louis Trintignant, Michel Piccoli, Bernadette Lafont, Claude Mann, Charles Denner, Pierre Mondy, among others.
To be honest, I have never come across a more stellar cast in a French film, and - a rare event - it does not detract from its inherent quality, as the fast moving script and elusive murders and murderer perfectly dovetail with the individualities in a fast emerging, highly talented ensemble: Montand is memorable with his Marseilles accent and nose spray up his nostrils; Perrin and Allégret (Signoret's daughter) make a beautiful, lovable young couple; Piccoli deserves plaudits for his sympathetic portrayal of a man who can't take his eye off women's private parts; Claude Mann as the police intern who knows more than it seems; the extremely alluring Lafont makes the most of a tiny part as a wife trying to tell police more than her interfering hubby; Mondy as the chief inspector who keeps barking commands in numerical order, primo, segondo, tercio; and Denner almost steals the show in the role of Bob, with the nickname Robert, lover of the film's first victim, the luscious Pascale Roberts.
Yes, so many roles and quality actors tend to spoil the broth, and COMPARTIMENT suffers a little bit from that, too - but it grabs you from the outset and the exciting final chase must have inspired many others.
Mesmerizing B&W cinematography from Jean Tournier and editing by Christian Gaudin. Truly pulsating score by Michel Magne.
The final standing ovation has to go to Costa-Gavras for the immaculate directorial debut and the terrific screenplay off the original novel by Japrisot.
Wonderful noir whodunnnit, must-see for anyone interested in noir and French cinema. 9/10.
