MovieChat Forums > La sirène du Mississipi (1969) Discussion > Unbelievable Story.

Unbelievable Story.

posted 11 years ago by schlomolipchitz
5 replies | jump to latest

Are the French capable of writing a realistic and believable screen play? This screen play was worst than “The Bride Wore Black.” First we have a multi-millionaire marrying a mail order bride. Not only would that be highly unlikely, but if he did, he would have her thoroughly investigated. Passengers just don’t disappear off of ships without investigation. Wouldn’t the ship’s staff realize that the passenger was missing and at least inform the police upon their arrival in port? Millionaires do not keep their assets in cash in banks. They invest it. The sum was 25 million francs – that is equal to $30 million today! I doubt if any bank had that much cash on hand and if someone tried to withdraw it, questions would be raised. The leading man goes to France and just happens to see his wife on TV and just happens to bump into the private detective he hired to find her on the street. How did the private detective know where they were living? How did he get the house out in the country? Why would you kill him to protect a woman who already had stabbed you in the back? It goes on and on. They screen play would appear to be written by a third-grader! The only good thing about this movie was watching Deneuve.

[–] kenny-164 11 years ago

it always amazes me when i come to IMDb how many posters here seem to think watching films is some kind of test to see how many plot holes or other unlikely (but not implausible!) elements in the film can be identified by them.

[–] schlomolipchitz 11 years ago

Apparently, some people still believe in fairy tales.

[–] kenny-164 11 years ago

Schmomo,

I never said I believe the story in this film. It is a fictional piece of work. Believe? Are you for real?

That says more about the baseless starting point of your argument than your own whiney listing of so called plot holes that really are not.

[–] ZolotoyRetriever 9 years ago

so called plot holes that really are not.

Well, in all fairness, I think the OP is correct about the wife transferring the 25 million francs out of the joint account - with no questions or suspicions being aroused by the bankers whatsoever. Not only is it a significant amount of cash for a bank to hand over, it's a significant enough transaction to warrant informing the co-holder of the account, in this case Louis, her husband. I'm beyond certain that any banker would have made a quick phone call to the husband to make sure that this massive cash withdrawal met with the husband's approval. So yes, that was a bit of a plot weakness, to say the least.

[–] kenny-164 9 years ago

Zolo,

Circling back here, I never said that the bank transfer would not have raised suspicion. My main point was the OP's questioning why "the French" seem "incapable" of writing a believeable story. In my first response I found that frame of reference to be unhelpful. Let me put it this way - yes, I think some hole in the film, perhaps a failure to explain, or something that is not only unlikely but wholly implausible, can be distracting enough that it interrupts the suspension of disbelief. Of course.

But watching a film is not something viewers should do primarily by, in the firsrt intance, seeing if they can come up with plot inconsistencies. IMo there's far too much of htat on IMDb.

Sure I find myself as does everyone from time getting hung up on some implausible event or development in a film. Imo the OP's post suggested he goes well beyond that as a general rule in viewing films.