WHO KILLED SANTA CLAUS? ("L'Assassinat du Père Noël", 1941)
Details
A Ho-Ho-Who Dunnit for the holidays! This week, we're getting festive with a small-town mystery that's got all the hallmarks of a Hallmark Original - romance! snow! murder! Put your fake beard on and settle in with us as we discuss this Occupation-era dramedy that may be about more than meets the eye...
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WHO KILLED SANTA CLAUS? ("L'Assassinat du Père Noël", 1941)
Dir. by Cristian-Jaque
Watch here: https://m.ok.ru/video/9177562155618 or on Google Drive here.
It's Christmas Eve in Savoie, and something suspect is afoot... As a small French village prepares its wares and its wishlists for the holiday, it is shaken by news of an apparent attempted burglary. The would-be thief got away without leaving any identifying information, but that doesn't mean he won't strike again. As the mayor orders tighter security for Christmas mass, life goes on as usual - a local aristocrat returns home from his years of travel, a local globe-maker prepares to don his yearly Santa costume to make his rounds for the kiddies, and his sickly daughter dreams away in her melancholic stupor. Is there more to these villagers than meets the eye?
A wintry mystery brimming with local flavor and colorful characters, L'Assassinat du Père Noël is a hidden gem of pre-noir crime film whose tale of provincial suspicion hints at a deeper message about the era it was produced under. Let's talk about it!
*As a reminder, this is solely a movie discussion group - we encourage you to watch the film independently prior to coming to the meetings.