Les Risques Du Metier (1967)

In a small French village, a school teacher (Jacques Brel) is accused of attempted rape by one of his female students (Delphine Desyeux). This is soon followed by accusations by two other students (Nathalie Nell, Chantal Martin) of sexual misconduct. Based on the novel by Jean and Simone Cornec and directed by Andre Cayatte. Not the first film of its kind, movies about students accusing teachers goes all the way back to William Wyler's THESE THREE in 1936. But this one is set up as a mystery. We can guess at the motivation of the first accuser but why the other two? At times, the film feels like a variation of Arthur Miller's play on the Salem witch trials, THE CRUCIBLE. This was the film debut of the renowned singer Jacques Brel and his acting is very strong. You'd never know he was a singer not an actor and that this was his first film. There's another strong performance by Emmanuelle Riva (HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR) as his loyal wife. His innocence is never in doubt so the element of did he or didn't he is never a factor. The ending is rather conventional. With Rene Dary, Christine Fabrega and Nicole Desailly.