Ever wondered how you would cope if one of your family members was accused of murder? Many films deal with the murderer’s perspective, the victim’s family or friends, or the police, but it is rare indeed for a film to illuminate the inner turmoil of a parent or another relative of the supposed perpetrator.

Bertrand Tavernier's film The Clockmaker (1973) does just that and in a very effective manner. Tavernier was a longtime film critic turned director and this was his very first work. Tavernier was something of an Americanophile, and for his premiere effort he settled on adapting an American novel by Georges Simenon, resetting it in Lyon, France his native city. Tavierier made his mark as one of the second wave of French directors after World War II and was not much of a fan of the French New Wave that followed directly on the heels of the War. He preferring the pre-war style of filmmaking, with its more directly narrative style. Accordingly, he enlisted two script writers from that earlier era, Jean Aureche and Pierre Bost. The result was a film that was very well crafted and then equally well delivered.

The Story: The story centers on Michel Descombes (Philippe Noiret), a man of perhaps sixty, long widowed and now a long-time bachelor. He is a clockmaker and operates a shop in Lyon. As one might expect of a man involved in a profession that requires patience for precision work, Descombes is a somewhat methodical and lethargic sort of man. As the film opens, Descombes is enjoying a boy’s night out with his close friends, including Antoine (Jacques Denis). They are a pleasant, easy-going group. Antoine is something of a leftist, supporting the French communists. This small group of men engages in witty conversation about politics and some other issues heard on the television news. At the end of the evening, Descombes heads home with a full belly and that special sense of warmth that a good time with good friends can provide.

The next day Descombes is surprised by a visit from the police at his shop. They insist on searching his apartment that lies behind the shop, especially the room where his son used to live. The police refuse to tell Descombes anything but he is soon taken to the police station. There he meets Police Commissioner Guiboud (Jean Rochefort), who is a decent sort of man. The Commissioner informs him that his son, Bernard (Sylvain Rougerie), is wanted for murdering a factory security guard named Razon. There was an eye-witness to the event. The guard’s car was also torched. Bernard has fled the city with his girlfriend Liliane (Christine Pascal), who was involved as well.

Descombes is shocked. He begins to realize how little he knows about his son, his beliefs or even what kind of person he really is. Descombes has not spent a lot of time with his son. After his wife’s death, Bernard was mostly raised by a caretaker, Madeleine (Andree Tainsy). Descombes wants to help his son but is at a loss as to what he can do that would be beneficial for him. He also wants to learn more about him and how this murder could have happened. He methodically seeks information, in keeping with his deliberate style, and soon discovers that the victim was a brutish right-wing guard who hated and harassed individuals with leftist leanings. Among other things, he used his position of authority to sexually harass the female workers at the factory, including Liliane. He may even have raped Liliane.

At the same time that he is coping with these anxieties, Descombes must also deal with an exploitive and deceitful press that only cares about getting the story and right-wing thugs who smash his store window. The Police Commissioner, on the other hand, is sympathetic and supportive, having a son of Bernard’s age himself and knowing how difficult it is to communicate with teen children. Descombes tries to understand where he may have failed as a father.

When Bernard and his girl friend are caught on the island of Bréhat, Bernard flies to their place of incarceration, but Bernard refuses to see him. Later, after transfer back to Lyon, Bernard also refuses his lawyer’s plan for a legal strategy based on characterizing it as a crime of passion. Bernard insists on merely stating that he killed the guard because he was a pig and deserved to be killed, despite the likelihood that his sentence will be longer if he maintains that attitude. There is some possibility that he is doing so to protect his girl friend from exposure to press scrutiny. Perhaps she is pregnant as a result of being raped. Descombes decides to respect his son’s decision and thereby begins to build a relationship with him that had been missing in the past. Descombes is determined to provide Bernard with his support as a father through visitations with him every week during his confinement.

Production Values: The Clockmaker is well-written, well-directed, and well-acted. It’s not an exciting or great film, but it’s a very solid and touching work. The story develops in an entirely natural way with great narrative clarity. It has the feel of authenticity. The film has almost a documentary texture or perhaps cinema vérité. It ticks along with the precision of the clocks in the clockmaker’s shop. Tavernier fully exploits his native Lyon environment for all its worth.

Noiret’s performance is pure gold. He communicates his feelings mostly through his actions, gestures, and his hangdog expression. Noiret was Tavernier’s favorite actor and the two has a long association. The supporting performances are also strong, especially Jean Rochefort as Commissioner Guiboud.

Bottom-Line: The Clockmaker is a very intimate film, low key in its delivery but nevertheless touching and powerful. It was a very worthy debut film for Travenier who went on to make more than 30 additional films, including Round Midnight (1986). The original French title of the film was L’Horloger de Saint-Paul. It is in French with English subtitles with a running time of 105 minutes. Despite the potentially depressing nature of the subject matter, the film is more up-lifting than melancholy in the end. This is a film that will keep you intrigued despite its methodical pace.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older