THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1986)

Director: Jeannot Szwarc

Writers: David Epstein (based on the original story by Edgar Allan Poe)

Producer: Robert A. Halmi

Cast: George C. Scott, Rebecca De Mornay, Val Kilmer, Ian McShane, Neil Dickson, Maud Rayer, Fernand Guiot, Maxence Mailfort, Roger Lumont, Patrick Floersheim, Erick Desmarestz, Yvette Petit, Mak Wilson, Serge Ridoux, Sebastian Roché 

In 19th-century Paris, France, the grisly murders of two women has the city in a state of fear. Retired Police Inspector Auguste Dupin (George C. Scott) seems uninterested in the case or its solution, despite his past crime-solving genius and dedication. 

The Flashback Fanatic movie review 

The renowned American author Edgar Allan Poe not only was an innovator of horror fiction, he also invented the detective story. In a series of three stories he called "tales of ratiocination," Poe featured the intellectually brilliant character C. Auguste Dupin. The first Dupin case was fittingly as macabre as the horror stories Poe is most celebrated for. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" was first published in 1841. This was the prototype for the stories of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and the many other genius crime-solvers to come in mystery fiction.

The 1986 television movie adaptation is not the first time the Poe classic had been adapted to film, but it is probably the most faithful. All the particulars about the horrible crime are faithfully presented. Unlike the earlier versions, the main aim of this story seems to focus on the solution to the puzzling case by means of observation and imagination. That was exactly what Poe was concerned with in his original tale.

As with all Poe short stories, the biggest challenge of movie adaptation is to expand upon the original story to make a film feature length. In this film version of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Dupin is no longer a young, reclusive, intellectual bachelor, but, as portrayed by George C. Scott, is a revered police inspector forced into retirement by the jealous Prefect of Police (Ian McShane). Dupin has become a bitter recluse trying to live with his daughter Claire (Rebecca De Mornay) on his meager pension. It is his hurt pride that initially makes him reluctant to take any interest in the mystery of the bizarre slayings making newspaper headlines. This infuriates Claire when her fiancé (Neil Dickson) is jailed as a suspect in the crimes and her crime-solving genius father will not make any effort to prove his innocence. There is also some intrigue regarding the trustworthiness of Claire’s fiancé and of Auguste Dupin’s protégé Phillipe (Val Kilmer) having an obvious attraction to Claire. Additionally, there is the conflict between the put-out-to-pasture Dupin and the vain and inadequate Prefect of Police. More than a solution to this case, we want to see this arrogant official put in his place. I think this is all a very satisfying way to expand the story outward, to become something more than just a bizarre crime puzzle to be solved, and create character empathy and interest. 

Add to that the moody period settings, good performances, and absolute fidelity to the particulars of Poe’s crime and solution, and this flashback fanatic is pleased. 

For some reason, this adaptation gets very little respect. Even as far back as 1986, I suppose attention spans were already being shortened and many could not appreciate the film’s leisurely pace and characters of dignity dealing with their concerns while not losing sight of the baffling and macabre mystery to be solved.