Directed by Bertrand Tavernier • 1974 • France
Starring Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort, Jacques Denis
In Bertrand Tavernier’s masterful feature debut, clockmaker Michel Descombes (Philippe Noiret, in the first of many collaborations with the director) finds his well-ordered life blown apart by the discovery that his son is wanted for murder. As the investigation proceeds, Michel befriends the police inspector (Jean Rochefort) in charge of his son’s case. Based on a novel by Georges Simenon, THE CLOCKMAKER OF ST. PAUL (a.k.a. THE CLOCKMAKER) eschews the expected narrative machinations of a procedural to focus instead on the relationship that develops between the two men as Michel attempts to understand the motivations behind his son’s crime.
Up Next in Part 1: The Films
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Let Joy Reign Supreme
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier • 1975 • France
Starring Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort, Jean-Pierre MarielleThe ironically titled second feature by Bertrand Tavernier is an extraordinarily detailed, thrillingly alive evocation of eighteenth-century France during the regency of Philippe d’Orléa...
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The Judge and the Assassin
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier • 1976 • France
Starring Philippe Noiret, Michel Galabru, Isabelle HuppertIn nineteenth-century France, a crazed former soldier (Michel Galabru) embarks on a killing spree across the country. His crimes spark a frantic manhunt, and he soon becomes the prey of an a...
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Spoiled Children
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier • 1977 • France
Starring Christine Pascal, Michel Piccoli, Michel AumontOne of director Bertrand Tavernier’s most personal stories centers on successful filmmaker Bernard Rougerie (Michel Piccoli), who, while working on his latest project, suffers a creative block...
