Le glaive et la balance/The Sword and the Balance (1963)

A boy is kidnapped and murdered on the French riviera. The police, who had watched the delivery of the ransom to TWO men gives chase once they determine that the boy is dead. The police never loses sight of the TWO men who flee on a speedboat and run into an old lighthouse after landing. However, when the police surrounds the lighthouse, THREE men come out, each one claiming that he was there on a stroll and the following investigation can not determine who is lying. The three men are put on trial, but the jury finds them innocent, because they can not determine which two are guilty. Summary justice is made by a mob when the three men leave the court after their aquittal.

Sur la Cote d’Azur, le jeune Patrick, fils de la richissime madame Winter, a ete enleve avec demande de rancon. La police, alertee, surveille de loin la remise de la rancon dans le but d’apprehender les criminels. Ce sont deux hommes qui reussissent a s’echapper. Traques, ils abattent un policier, assassinent leur otage et s’enfuient par la mer a bord d’une vedette. Mais, cernes de toutes parts, les deux hommes accostent sur un ilot et se refugient dans un phare desaffecte. Lorsque la police les somme de se rendre, trois hommes en sortent, chacun des trois pretend avoir vu entrer deux hommes qu’il ne connaissait pas. La police va rapidement decouvrir que tous les trois ont un lourd passif susceptible de les rendre egalement suspects…

Director: Andre Cayatte
Stars: Anthony Perkins, Jean-Claude Brialy and Renato Salvatori
Production land: Italy, France
Premiere Date: 1 February 1963 France
IMDb - 6.9 (62 votes)