Eugene Tarpon, a former policeman in Paris, was fired from the force after an incident where a farmer was killed with a tear gas bomb that went in the wrong direction. Now, three years later, working as a P.I., trying to make ends meet, he is reduced to distribute fliers in the apartment complexes near where he lives to advertise his business. It will not take long before a sultry customer, Charlotte Le Dantex will show up at his tiny apartment to ask for his help.The purpose of Charlotte's visit is to engage Eugene to help her. Louise, her roommate has been killed at the place where they both shared. She is in need of advice since she figures the police will charge her as a suspect in the crime. Eugene, a stoic man, gets thrown into a web of intrigue that will put his life in danger. One of the rewards he gets is sexual, for Charlotte, a sensual creature, always gets her own way. Eugene's adventure will be well rewarded, not for solving the puzzle he was presented by Charlotte, but by finding a coveted object.Jacques Bral directed the film which is based on Jean-Patrick Manchette's novel "Morgue Pleine". He also helped with the adaptation for the screen in collaboration with Jean-Paul Lecca and Julien Levi. Part of our interest in watching the film was the prospect of seeing Claude Chabrol act. The director, one of the best directors of France's cinema, has a small, but pivotal part in the picture. Unfortunately, his appearance is a short one. The film follows to the letter the canons of films of the 'noire' genre. A down and out P.I., a temptress, the men that after then and a convoluted plot, an unexpected ending, are all thrown in, but the basic flaw is in the film is just a mere copy of the best of the genre. The only interesting aspect in the movie is the deadpan approach to the role shown by Jean-Francois Balmer and the siren played by Sandra Montaigu.

This is a very fine example of a French hardboiled detective novel turned into a film. Manchette's novel Morgue plain tells the story of hapless Gendarm turned unsuccesful private investigator who stumbles into a case that is a couple of sizes too big for him. The plot is somewhat convoluted almost putting Raymond Chandler to shame but it works extremely well. The film is a pretty starightforward adaptation of the book with a great cast. Eugene Tarpon is a tragic and funny character at the same time, imagine a mix between Philip Marlowe and any tragic character you can think of. The film excellently captures the essence of Tarpon's shabby life and the cinematography is excellent. The only thing that I feel didn't come across in this adaptation was Tarpon's wise crackls that are very funny in the book, partly because you don't really expect them.