Le Combat dans l'île / Fire and Ice

A Feature film of

Alain Cavalier

Produced by

NEF - Nouvelles Éditions de Films

Production year1961

French release07/09/1962

Runtime1 h 42 min

Synopsis

Clément is a member of a secret political group and one day finds himself persuaded to take part in a murder with Serge, the leader, who has him completely in his power. Anne, Clément's wife is caused a good deal of suffering by her husband's violent and jealous nature. On Serge's orders, when the latter tells him that they have been denounced, Clément and his wife have to flee. They take refuge with Paul, an artist-craftsman and a childhood friend of Clément's, who lives in an old mill on the banks of the Seine. It is there that Clément hears on the radio that the murder victim is in fact unharmed, a dummy having been set up in his place. Serge has betrayed the cause and made a game of his friend. Clément, furious, vows to hunt down Serge and avenge himself. He leaves the mill, leaving Anne stranded. Paul must himself make a trip to Rome on business. There he learns that Anna had formerly lived in that cityand that she has been a mediocre actress whom Clément had torn away from a scandalous life. Curious, Paul traces Anne's life back through the years and when he returns to the mill he is fascinated by her many aspects. Clément is in Brazil where he finds Serge and kills him...