Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-22

Of contemporary sinners. His fl
Ten Commandments" an am
plification Of title that justifieS
the introduction of Satan as a
cynically comic character.
Among a flock Of Frances
tOp-flight film stars, he has
found all the gifted sinner types
that either the Devil or Duvivi-
er could need to prove that
modern man is flunking the
Commandments.
The film, at the Calvert
Theater, makes its comment on
the uneven inspiration Of the
Commandments as film materi-
al by consolidating them into
seven episodes. OF these, the
most amusingly treated is adul-
terry, the most poignantly, those
that denigrate murder and rec
ommend honoring ones father
and mother.
In spite of the dramatic mer-
it of the latter, the picture is
not for the young, who are re-
putedly deficient in their paren-
tai attitudes.
There are some clever cast
ing tricks in "The Devil and
the Ten Commandments" The
most surprising Of these is that
Of Charles Aznavour, a comedi-
an, as the tragic hero of the
picture s best episode, the
Thou shalt not kill" one.
Aznavour, a young Seminari-
an whose sister has been driv-
en- to prostitution, drugs and
suicide, sets out to avenge her
fate at the hand of a Paris vice
lord. Mans justice, he knows,
is inadequate in this case. He
must contrive, therefore, the
assurance Of something more
fitting and, without revealing
its process, it can be said to
turn out as the most dramatic
episode of the film. 1t is an ut
terly brilliant central perform
ance that produces this result.
Making fitful narrative intru-
sions into the flow Of the film,
the Devil explains that perhaps
he is not as bad as he is paint
ed; that he sees himself as an
evil genius to whom Man can
transfer his guilt. To this, Du-
viyier's corroborative response
is the sequence on adultery, the
most ironically amusing and
sophisticated Of the lot.
It's point, made chiefly by
Micheline Presle and FRANCHISE
Arnoul, is that adultery exacts
its price no matter how clever
ly managed. Clearly, Duvivier
is making it not in a spirit of
reproof nor suggested reform
but rather as a fact of life with
which the wording must rec
oncile himself. And, even more,
herself.
On the subject of honoring
ones parents, Duvivier is both
witty and wiStful, with Danielle
Darrieux and Alan Delon as
the major characters in his
parable. 1t is captivatingIy
imagined and ends on a note Of
tenderness that M. Duvivier
would like both parents and
their offspring to take to heart.
This much of feeling on his
part in an essentially ironic COM
edy injects an oddly pleasant
note into it.
The spectator is not quite
certain what M. Duvivier is
driving at in a sequence involv-
ing a Strip-tease woman and an
admirer, perhaps hooking the
folly Of coveting. Moreover, he
is merely moderately amused
by the elaborate slapStick jest
having to do with stealing and
may be offended that the direc-
tor can do no more than a
semi-sick joke in a passage
that employs the talents of Fer
handel.
In its adultly witty way, COM
municated by so many of the
great French stars, Duvivier's
film is a Satirical sequel to the
extravaganza of DeMille's.
MEMOS: 1t could, but won't,
60 without saying that there
will be special matinee show
ings at most outlying area film
houses on Thanksgiving Day.
-. And, the following day, a
number will be having IL am.
Showings for school children
having a holiday. -. Mary
Washington College, Freder-
icksburg, will present a single
performance of the Canadian
Players Henry w, Part l." on
Monday, November Is. From
Arenas "The Devils" which he
leaves with Sunday nights per-
Torrance, Hurd Hatfield scars
spiritually upward to "Cry of
Angels" televiSion spectacu-
lar for Christmas.
A note from Beth Campbell
Short informs this corner that
her actress sister, Flora Camp
bell, a one-time frequent Wash
ington visitor, has resumed her
stage career. She's in the off
Broadw way Journey to the
Day." Theater de Lys, with a
nice set of notices hailinP her