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Jean-Paul (Alain Delon) and Marianne (Romy Schneider), a young jet set
couple whose relationship is based more on sheer passion and attraction
towards each other than on actual feelings, spends a (boring) vacation at
a villa near St Tropez. Then Henri (Maurice Ronet), Jean Paul's oldest
friend, shows up at the place, and Marianne promptly invites him to stay
for a few days - much to Jean-Paul's dismay, because years ago, Henri had
an affair with Marianne, and they both still seem to be attracted to one
another. But Henri has also brought his 18 year old daughter Penelope
(Jane Birkin) Jean-Paul hasn't even heard of until now ... More and
more, the situation between Jean-Paul, Marianne and Henri develops to a
toxic love triangle, which Jean-Paul thinks he can only break out of by
seducing Penelope - and not even trying to hide it. Marianne deals with
this rather calmly, since there was no real love between her and
Jean-Paul, but somehow it breaks Henri's heart, and he decides to leave
together with his daughter the very next day - but go on a drinking spree
this night. When he comes back to the villa late at night, Jean-Paul is as
drunk as he is, the two start a fight, and Henri falls into the villa's
swimming pool - and Jean-Paul is so pumped up with rage that he presses
Henri's head under water until he drowns. Then he rather (clumsily tries)
to make it look like a swimming accident. A few days after this accident,
police inspector Leveque (Paul Crauchet) shows up to investigate, because
there is enough circumstancial evidence to suggest Henri's death was
murder, but he lacks any smoking gun - and thus puts doubts into
Marianne's mind. Ultimately, she questions Jean-Paul about the whole
thing, and he eventually admits to killing Henri and even tells her where
the evidence is hidden, throwing himself at her mercy - but she doesn't
report him to the police, because killing Henri was the first outbreak of
genuine feelings Jean-Paul has shown towards her. She wants to leave him
anyways, though, but can't - and this way they seem to both get what they
deserve ... Nice and unexcited little thriller that manages to
spend most of the time only setting up the situation (the one murder of
the whole thing happens about 2 thirds [!] into the movie) and still
remain entertaining, interesting and even exciting - also thanks to its
constant erotic tension and an elegant direction. All that said though, I
might have to warn you: This movie is anything but timeless, and not only
concerning the visuals - its depiction of the jet set, of free love, and
of simple hip- or coolness are firmly rooted in the late 1960's ... which
of course is not a bad thing, I just felt obliged to remark that.
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find The Swimming Pool at adultvideouniverse.com
