Maigret

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

When the library acquired “Maigret” on DVD, I was curious to see it. Based on Georges Simenon’s classic mystery novels about a police commissioner in Paris, it starred Rowan Atkinson, an actor I knew best from his comedic turns as Blackadder and Mr. Bean as well as movie appearances. I had read a couple of the Maigret books in high school but that was—um—let’s just say awhile ago.  I did have the distinct impression that Maigret was a big man:  Michael Gambon played him in an earlier version and he more closely fit my vaguely remembered image of the detective. Casting a slender British comic actor in the role of a serious, heavy-set Frenchman sounded intriguing.

But first, I wanted to reacquaint myself with some of the source material. I read a couple of the early Maigret books.  I was expecting something more along the lines of Agatha Christie, but instead of a follow the clues, fair play mystery, I found them to be more atmospheric and focused on the psychology of the crimes rather than physical clues.  Since the first books in the series were published in 1931, I found that a bit surprising—but then Simenon wasn’t trying to compete with the other mystery novelists of the era. He was trying to sell stories to earn a living.

Simenon does a brilliant job of setting scenes so vividly one can almost see them.  The characters aren’t particularly well developed, not even Maigret, but there’s still a power to the story that carries the reader along. Unlike the more recent trends in crime stories, the detective’s personal life doesn’t play a large role. It’s all about the crime. They’re grittier books than the usual Golden Age detective stories, sometimes set in the seedier areas of Paris among the less reputable shops and bars. They certainly aren’t set in a cozy village and more beer is consumed than cups of tea.  The novels tend to be short, less than 200 pages and sometimes less than 150.  I didn’t see the translator listed on the copies I read, but the books were originally written in French.

With that background, I moved on to the DVDs.  The stories are set in the 1950s, with at least one reference to the German occupation. The visuals are very well done, with narrow streets, era appropriate cars and clothing, and some of the darkness and grit from the books.  Newspapers blare headlines in French, with handy English translations superimposed on some scenes, giving a bit of an edgy feel to the historical scenes.

Being an aficionado of British TV mystery series, it was a bit startling to see a detective pull out a gun, something the detectives of Midsomer* would never do.  Maigret is known for smoking a pipe, and he most certainly did in almost every scene.  Others were puffing away on cigarettes, as would have been appropriate for the time and place.  And, in keeping with the books, there was more than a bit of beer consumed even while on duty.  The rest of it—plot, story structure, and characters—did seem to reflect the sensibilities of the books I read.  I checked and Simenon’s son, John, was am executive producer on the series, and is very protective of his father’s work.

As for Atkinson, he did pull off the role as far as I’m concerned. While he didn’t have the heft, he had the thoughtful, calm persona down.  Maigret is interested in people; he seeks to understand both the victim and the murderer, and doesn’t render judgment on either.  Atkinson seemed to embody that attitude. I also liked the relationship between Maigret and Madame Maigret was portrayed: just as in the books, they’re a mature couple, comfortable with each other but also considerate.

I certainly enjoyed the series and do recommend it.

 

*Yes, I am addicted to Midsomer Murders. The library has some episodes of that series on DVD as well and some are available through Hoopla.