Los siete pecados capitales

The 'seven deadly sins' were first introduced by the Catholic Church (needless to say!) in the sixth century. Since then they have proved an inexhaustible source of inspiration for creative artistes and provided boundless entertainment. Let's face it, they are infinitely more interesting than the seven deadly virtues and as Mark Twain observed:"you go to Heaven for the climate, to Hell for the company"!

A fair-to-middling portmanteau film about the capital vices had been made in France in 1952 but this later 'New Wave' version is nothing short of catastrophic. Most of the segments are worthless but by the law of averages there has to be just one that is redeeming. That one is directed by Roger Vadim and features Marina Vlady whose wifely pride prevents her leaving her husband, played by Jean-Pierre Aumont, when she discovers that he too is being unfaithful. The linear narrative here at least provides relief from the others. This is followed by a bizarre tale directed by Godard in which Michael Constantine plays a film star who cannot even be bothered to take off his clothes to have sex with a gorgeous starlet as it requires too much effort to put them back on. In keeping with its title 'Sloth' this has the effect of sending one to sleep.

The score, mostly by Michel Legrand, is intensely irritating even by his standards but Sacha Distel has written a haunting theme for the 'Pride' segment which would later become an international hit as 'The Good Life'.

Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 are monumental misfires by directors trying to be 'clever' which must surely rank as the eighth sin!

This is a blend of the bad, commercial work of journeymen French directors and the exciting new wave of Godard, Chabrol and Demy. Anger is the first sin to be treated, and Sylvain Dhomme does a terrible job with this silly story of flies in the soup provoking world catastrophe. Molinaro's version of Envy is no better. Philippe de Broca gets a fine hammy performance from Georges Wilson in Gluttony; some great satire of French country eating habits here. Jacques Demy is next with Lust, and he loses steam with a static visual style (none of the grace of Lola) and stiff acting. We can only surmise what he could have done with a better script.

Godard has the best segment, he's got Eddy Constantine playing a loafer for a change, not his Lemmy Caution-like nerveless violence. The cheesy Hawaiian music suits the story well. It's more verite than we are used to from Godard. After Sloth, we get Pride from Roger Vadim, and the banality of the story is relieved by some good acting by Sami Frey and Marina Vlady. I always thought it was a shame Vlady wasn't more popular; she had a gorgeous sleek cat's face and could do comedy. Chabrol is last with Greed, and he shows the usual facility and empty social commentary we have come to expect from him.

Entertaining film-á-sketch by different directors illustrating the seven more-fun-than-deadly sins in modern contexts. In turns glib, ironic, farcical, wry, witty, stylish, sexy and sophisticated, they're all watchable. In fact, even the least of them - it's difficult to say which that is - is downright impressive and full of good things - interesting simply for being French. Some are straightforward tales, others run like mini-features leaving you wanting more.

Sylvain Dhomme and Eugene Ionesco start off with a surreal account of Anger in which a fly in the soup leads to the end of the world. Edouard Molinaro delivers a chic, languid story of a maid and a movie star in Envy that may be the finest of all. Philippe de Broca's tale of Gluttony is a gently Tatiesque farcical interlude. Popular winner though, and most amusing on the whole, has to be Godard's piece on Sloth - filmed with the same panache as Breathless, it has Eddie Constantine wearily playing himself getting picked up by a chick and taken home; she's soon walking around in the buff but he's too lazy (or depressed, or cool) to get undressed. Lust, by Jacques Demy (doing Truffaut/Doinel) has Jean-Louis Trintignant and friend imagining scenes from Bosch in a café. Lots of nudity here. Roger Vadim does a classy piece on two-way adultery in Pride, dripping with sophisticated images. In Chabrol's lengthier effort to finish off (Avarice), a prostitute oversells herself to a bunch of soldiers and so becomes the prize in their lottery - a good mix of style, smut and comedy.

Quality ideas and film-making, most of it beautifully shot. Not greatness, just all-round artistry.

This is a pretty mediocre film made up of sketches.Julien Duvivier did a lot better with "le diable et les dix commandements" ,and he did all the segments single-handedly .

Only Godard snubs can enjoy the sloth sketch which is a saddening bore,with Eddie Constantine,an actor who made duds by the dozen.The anger sketch recalls the silent movies era,that is to say it's modern! Philippe De Broca's part is vulgarity itself,which is amazing,coming from a director known for his elegance.There's nothing to expect from Roger Vadim ,whose movies have not worn well,it's the least we can say.

Edouard MOlinaro will be dismissed by the "connoisseurs" ,just because he's not part of the new wave;however his sketch is not that much bad.But the two best segments are Chabrol's and DEmy's .

Demy's "lust" ,abetted by two peerless thespians,Laurent Terzieff and Jean-Louis Trintignant ,blends present and past when the latter,still a young kid,didn't know what "lust" meant.This is the most daring sketch,even featuring furtive nudities.

Chabrol's segment ends up the movie on an unpretentious welcome note .The "polytechniciens" putting their problem -how can we sleep with the de luxe prostitute?- in equation is one of the funniest moment of the whole movie.

Two sketches and a half:you make it on the percentages but lose out on the bonuses.So why don't you try Duvivier's "le diable et les dix commandements" instead?No ,Duvivier is no part of the new wave.It's not a crime,is it?

7 Sins, 7 episodes: the first 2 (Anger, Envy) are incredibly bad (and incoherent), and make you worry that you're in for a disaster of epic proportions. The next 3 are more tolerable: Gluttony (too broadly played), Lechery (most notable for two visionary sequences of Hell), Sloth (deadpan and sluggish). Finally we get 2 legitimately amusing (though nothing more) episodes with Pride (starring gorgeous Marina Vlady) and Greed (which also contains the film's most winning performance, by Danièle Barraud, whose only film appearance this is). Overall, the 1952 collective effort on the same subject is better. ** out of 4.