In "Le couteau dans la plaie" (AKA "Five miles to midnight") a man survives an air crash, thanks to random chance. Being a louche and manipulative person, he talks his wife into making a false insurance claim over his supposed death. Needless to say, this will lead to one complication after another.
A mix of thriller and drama, "Le couteau" is quite suspenseful. It can also be read as a darkly perceptive study of a marriage gone awry. Here, husband and wife are unable to live together, but they are also unable to part ways in an adult and responsible manner. When they find themselves cooped up together, the claustrophobia leads to a hellish situation, what with two wary people circling each other like spiders trapped in the same jar.
The cast is unusual but performances are good. Sophia Loren, in particular, impresses as the embattled female protagonist.
So there's a lot to enjoy in "Le couteau", especially for lovers of the psychological thriller genre. However, the movie does have its flaws. For instance, at one point the female protagonist crosses paths with a male character who is a stranger to her. The said male character then starts following her around, in a stalker-like way. As a viewer you think "Aha ! That is either a dangerous sex pest or a private investigator determined to latch onto the couple" but no, the ending seems to suggest that he was just a regular Joe who strayed into somebody else's tragedy. Whether caused by the writing, the acting or both, this dissonance does no favors to the plot.
Viewers who enjoyed the movie can take a look at "The running man" (1963) with Laurence Harvey. Both works are remarkably similar in theme.
A mix of thriller and drama, "Le couteau" is quite suspenseful. It can also be read as a darkly perceptive study of a marriage gone awry. Here, husband and wife are unable to live together, but they are also unable to part ways in an adult and responsible manner. When they find themselves cooped up together, the claustrophobia leads to a hellish situation, what with two wary people circling each other like spiders trapped in the same jar.
The cast is unusual but performances are good. Sophia Loren, in particular, impresses as the embattled female protagonist.
So there's a lot to enjoy in "Le couteau", especially for lovers of the psychological thriller genre. However, the movie does have its flaws. For instance, at one point the female protagonist crosses paths with a male character who is a stranger to her. The said male character then starts following her around, in a stalker-like way. As a viewer you think "Aha ! That is either a dangerous sex pest or a private investigator determined to latch onto the couple" but no, the ending seems to suggest that he was just a regular Joe who strayed into somebody else's tragedy. Whether caused by the writing, the acting or both, this dissonance does no favors to the plot.
Viewers who enjoyed the movie can take a look at "The running man" (1963) with Laurence Harvey. Both works are remarkably similar in theme.