André Cayatte

André Cayatte was a lawyer fascinated with the notion of using film to express his opinions about the social and moral status of his native France. He decided to become a filmmaker in the mid-'30s and so left his law practice to begin working as a screenwriter. His first script was for Allegret's Entree des Artistes (1938). A few years later he made his directorial debut (he continued to write or co-write all of his screenplays). True to his higher purpose, his subsequent films tend to be more concerned with expressing his ideas through content than they are with artistry. Many of his films such as Le Dossier Noir(1955) and Nou Sommes Tous des Assassins (1957) strongly criticize the French judicial system. When not making social critiques, Cayatte made romantic films to explore the different facets of love. Among his best is Les Amants de Verone, a reworking of Romeo and Juliet.

~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide