Polanski and I guess his favourite writer Gerard Brach (Repulsion, Cul du Sac, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Che? The Tenant, Tess, Pirates, Bitter Moon) have created a sort of Hitchcocky nightmare / thriller in which newly arrived in Paris Harrison Ford almost immediately loses his wife Betty Buckley and is convinced she's been kidnapped. The only clue is the wrong suitcase, which ultimately leads him to the rather likeable and plucky Emmanelle Seigner.
Terrific fun, with unseen people on other ends of phone calls, rooftop shenanigans, the McGuffin in an Eiffel Tower, and shoot out by the real (Paris) one leading to a sad end for our girl.. Because in the nightclub scene before, her dance with Ford, something is going on... And the moment he brings the girl back to the hotel which would look so embarrassing but none of the police raise an eyebrow.
Polanksi and cinematographer Witold Sobocinski use the director's favoured wide lenses to keep you in the action, and they often prefer to stay on people rather than cut.
Pavel Edelman on Roman's choice of lenses:
"Roman has been shooting his movies with one or two lenses all his life. He likes wide lenses because he likes to see the characters integrated with the space.” The director adds, “A wide-angle lens gives you more depth of field, which is important when things that happen in the background have to be sharp, so that counts also. Of course, there is also more sensation of movement with a wide angle because you see more of the perspective change — the things on the sides of the frame move more than the things in front.”
I would not have guessed that the music was by Ennio Morricone, noticeable editing by Sam O'Steen.
Brach also wrote Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, and The Name of the Rose.
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