This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Police Detective Extraordinaire
Plot Overview
A case of a
murdered chauffeur in a millionaire's manor, mistakenly
assigned to bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) of
the French Sûreté, makes Commissioner
Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) most miserable. The main suspect,
maid Maria Gambrelli (Elke Sommer) being caught red-handed with a
smoking gun would ordinarily be a slam-dunk—some would call
it a rush to judgment—but the enthralled detective releases
her to be tailed to some mystery person she is purportedly
protecting. Clouseau's methodology consists of, “I
gather the facts, examine the clues … and before you know
it, the case is solved.” In this case it is
“Instinct” he uses. She leads him (delayed) to further
murder scenes in which she is the main, obvious suspect to be
released again & again, but he persists being called on to, and
off of, the cases by unknown “superiors” with hidden
motivations. He is the embodiment of Descartes's formulation:
“I think, therefore I am” (Cogito ergo sum.) He
overthinks it and can't be got rid of as he am
underfoot.
Ideology
It's up for grabs how this
romantic adventure will pan out for the star-crossed couple, but
that's nothing new. (Prov. 30:18-19)
“There be three things which are too wonderful for
me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the
way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the
sea; and the way of a man with a maid.” The writer of this
proverb juxtaposed three hard-to-track movements with romantic
intrigues: a soaring eagle, a slithering snake, and a tossed-about
ship. ASITD employs
images from the same three venues to prepare the viewer for the
love machinations. “The way of an eagle in the air”
corresponds to a crow the detective fells with a stone to complete
his disguise as a hunter. Carrying the bird's carcass he was
detained by the game warden for hunting without a license.
There's a rule against an investigator becoming personally
involved with a suspect, but Clouseau chose to ignore it.
“The way of a serpent upon a rock” corresponds to a
billiards game the detective plays with a bent cue. He misses his
shots, wrecks the table, and scatters the sticks. When he takes the
lovely Maria out for a night on the town, he is targeted by a
determined assassin … who keeps missing. The killer
graduates to a bomb for the finale when the lights go out.
“The way of a ship in the midst
of the sea” corresponds to Clouseau getting dunked in
the water: three times in the frog pond cum fountain at the
mansion, once in the duck pond at Camp Sunshine nudist camp, and
once in his own bathtub as he's teaching his manservant
Kato (Burt Kwouk) the finer points of karate. Clouseau is all wet
(“It's just a little dampness; it will soon go.”)
Production Values
“” (1964) was the first sequel to “The Pink Panther” (1963). It was directed by Blake Edwards who co-adapted the screenplay with William Peter Blatty, based on a play by Harry Kurnitz. It stars Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer and George Sanders. Sellers was remarkably funny. Sanders played the rich guy straight throughout.
It was Certified Approved. The film is
slapstick frolicking and loaded with sight gags. Sellers excels in
physical comedy. Runtime ≈ 1¾ hours.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
As it came out in the 60's era of sexual liberation, there's a lot of innuendo and implicit, off-camera sex in it. The maid, however, at the end concedes, “We all pay for our sins.” This is primo Sellers comedy if that's what you're into.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Decent action scenes. Suitability for children: Not rated, passed code. Special effects: Average special effects. Video Occasion: Fit For a Friday Evening. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
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