The Mouse that Roared

The late American writer Leonard Wibberley occasionally ventured into the crime genre, but he is best remembered for the series of satirical books starting with The Mouse that Roared, set in the tiny European country called the Grand Duchy of Fenwick. I’ve just seen the 1959 film version of the book, which (despite its fame) I’d never seen all the way through before.

I’m glad I did, for the Cold War satire has worn surprisingly well, given the passage of more than half a century. The premise of the film is that the Grand Duchy’s prosperity is threatened by the loss of its lucrative wine trade to the US. The government devises a plan to declare war on the US in retaliation, surrender quickly, and benefit from aid given generously by the US, as to other defeated enemies. The plan misfires when, through a series of wildly unlikely events, to put it mildly, the invasion of New York proves successful.

One of the strengths of the film is an excellent cast, led by Peter Sellers, who takes three roles. Jean Seberg is the love interest – she is the daughter of the scientist who has built the ‘Q bomb’. William Hartnell (the first Doctor Who) helps conduct the invasion, while Leo McKern (aka Horace Rumpole) is a populist politician.

The appeal of the script is that it combines two timeless elements, which are often used to good effect in thrillers. The first is the ‘David versus Goliath’ story-line, which always has an audience rooting for the underdog. The second is the cunning plan that misfires. The political issues that underpin the satire may seem dated now, but The Mouse that Roared remains a very enjoyable film indeed.

Breathless

Breathless is the English title for the famous Godard film A Bout de Souffle, which was at the forefront of the New Wave of film-making back in 1960. There was a re-make with Richard Gere in the lead role, which I haven’t seen, and I’ve only just watched the original, which stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg.

To call Breathless a thriller would be pushing things a bit, because it’s really a film that puts style above substance, and certainly above structure and plot. Belmondo’s character, Michel, is a petty criminal who, in a panic, shoots a police officer, and spends the rest of the film on the run. He is fascinated by an American girl called Patricia, played by Seberg, who at one point tells him she’s pregnant, and he is probably the father. The core of the film is about their relationship. What happens to Michel in the end is not exactly hard to predict.

Yet this brief outline of the story does not do the movie justice. Michel is impressed by Humphrey Bogart, and studiously tries to be as cool as Bogey. Belmondo is a charismatic actor, and this was the film that shot him to international prominence. Seberg is lovely, yet rather flaky – she is fascinated by Michel, despite disappointing him in the end.

I didn’t know much about Seberg until I read up about her after watching the film. Her real life seems to have been stranger than any fiction. She married frequently, became embroiled in controversy through her support for the Black Panthers, and committed suicide at the age of 40. Terribly sad.