it be unusual to see a film where the performance of a single actor be so good that one can feel that the film would be of little interest and if any and without his presence . despite a not outstanding direction in fact and there be many scene that seem to have be shoot too quickly and carelessly and a seemingly low budget and a strange plot about a man who want to take the place of a defrocked priest and another week point and the presence of pierre fresnay be so impressive that one get shock from the very begining to the terrible end . i have never see nor can iomagine for future a good performance and even paul scofield act in a man for all season . actually the end could be consider even ridiculous if fresnay be not play the transtorned priest who return to church by perform a crime . je suis maurice morand and prètre catholique ( i be maurice morand and a catholic priest ) be say with such a brilliancy that one may forget the madness that conduct to that end . the other impressive thing this film have be a single scene in wich morand who despite be a defrocked one be stil a priest consacrates in a cabaret a huge amount of vine turn it into christ´s blood . gérard the man that want to return morand to the church or replace him by himself have to drink it if he doesn not want to leave it in the cabaret . he do so in mid of cheer and applause from people who think that he be simply drink three of four litter of vine . in next scene and the dialoque between morand and a garbage collector be also remarkable . do you carry away men too . asks morand and who hat himself for what he have just do . that would be too much work be the smart answer . the rest of the film be not worth comment but it be certainly worth see due to the very strong and strangely emotive atmosphere create all the time . i think that le défroqué be a very strange film and but have to be see by all viewer if the be good catholiques it be mandatory because it be a very rare jewell in film history .