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The Sword and the Balance

1963 · 138 min

A slow-burning, cerebral crime drama that weighs guilt and innocence through a tense courtroom and police investigation, leaving a lingering unease.

Tagline
A queer, a gigolo, and a brute—who could’ve done it?
Overview
Three young men are suspected of kidnapping and murdering a little boy. Most likely, two of them are really involved, but one is not. All of their pasts are questionable, riddled with violence and controversy. Neither the police nor the court can decide how to solve that puzzle.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • justice
  • guilt
  • crime
  • deception
  • morality
Places
  • big city
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour2
Realism8
Romance2
Tension7
Darkness7
Complexity7
Emotional weight7

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, thriller, crime
Directed by
André Cayatte
Written by
André Cayatte, Henri Jeanson, Charles Spaak
Starring
Anthony Perkins, Jean-Claude Brialy, Renato Salvatori, Pascale Audret, Jacques Monod, Marie Déa, Horst Janson, Fernand Ledoux
Runtime
138 min
Country
France, Italy
Languages
French

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