Made during the Nazi occupation of France, this little film is truly a gem, and it is a pity that, at the time, its authors and some actors were so badly treated within their own country at the expense of accusations of collaboration with the invaders, and of having made a film that allegedly speaks ill of the French people. This is not what is at stake here, the film could be perfectly set in any part of Europe or even in the USA and would not rigorously lose anything with this change.
Everything takes place in a small isolated village where, out of nowhere, a lot of anonymous defamatory letters begin to appear, signed by a figure who calls himself "The Crow". These letters go on to divulge the secrets and sins of the targeted persons, that kind of thing that we prefer that nobody knows about us. However, the main target turns out to be a doctor from the local hospital, accused of performing abortions and having love affairs with several women in the village. So far, nothing special... but one of the recipients of the letters committed suicide because of it, giving rise to a police investigation.
The film has a lot of qualities, even though it's not perfect. I felt that it starts very abruptly, does not introduce the environment or the situation, and ends in much the same way: it is only in the final moments that we finally know who wrote the letters. In the best noir style, nothing is as it seems and there is no one innocent. We even suspect children.
The cast is very good and does a very competent job, skillfully directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Pierre Fresnay is a charismatic protagonist with a good presence and Ginette Leclerc is magnificent, intense and deliciously not naive. Pierre Larquey also does a really good job here, full of personality and intensity. Micheline Francey is an equally good addition, but her role didn't strike me as all that impressive.
Technically, it's an excellent film noir, with very good cinematography and a deft use of light and sets. There are no visual gimmicks here, the film relies heavily on camerawork and there are some really amazing scenes, like when you see through a keyhole. There is also no soundtrack, but the sound effects and sound are good.
