A film noir? A backstage musical? A whodunit? A comedy? In truth, it's all of the above -- plus a kinky love story, an absorbing melodrama, and a mordantly jaded snapshot of postwar Paris -- and all of them are wonderful.
100
Variety
Variety
In every respect it is outstanding.
100
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
A gorgeous flirt of a murder movie.
91
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Like all great film noir, however, the real delight of this film is in its mood and atmosphere.
Brooding, beautifully made and almost impossible for Americans to see -- Quai des Orfèvres, makes a triumphant reappearance on theatrical screens after an absence of about 50 years.
90
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Washington PostStephen Hunter
It is in fact a traditional mystery more reminiscent of Agatha Christie than the reigning film noir aesthetic of 1947. But it's fabulously entertaining.
90
Village Voice
Village Voice
The visual style has an expressionistic undertow, rich in shadowy chiaroscuro compositions.
This pungently filmed 1947 melodrama doesn't rank with Clouzot classics like "Diabolique" and "The Wages of Fear," but it's full of hard-boiled charm and has a musical score that adds extra dimensions to its impact.
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
An excellent film noir.
60
TV Guide Magazine
TV Guide Magazine
While the story is thin, Clouzot uses his immense skills to raise the picture above the standard for the genre.