this agreeable french movie deal about a millionaire owner of a tobacco factory on an african island nearly to madagascar name louis ( jean paul belmondo ) . he a single man look wife and then he advertise a bride and get a gorgeous woman name julia ( catherine deneuve ) . when she spontaneously appear turn out to be much more attractive than expect . he marry to julia but she suddenly disappear . a french eye private ( michael bouquet ) be hire by julia sister and soon he on the trail of his previous spouse . later louis encounter her in a dance hall under another name . in spite of the romantic delusion and everything and louis go on enamor with his enigmatic wife . this film be a splendid drama plenty of betrayal and deception and killing and theft and hitchcockian suspense . good performance by jean paul belmondo a young proprietary of a cigarette company who seem determine to fall under the spell of a femme fatale and a wonderful catherine deneuve a suspect heroine . the film get several reference to the american cinema and but truffaut ( 400 blow ) be a fervent moviegoer and such a represent johnny guitar and colorado jim and bogart and and hitchcock . the usa version be cut numerous minute and deserve an urgent restoring and remastering . loosely base on the novel titledwaltz into darkness by cornell woolrich ( rear window and screenwriter of alfred hitchcock hour ) who also be adapt in truffaut the bride wear black . colorful cinematography by denys clerval ( steal kiss ) and atmospheric musical score by antoine duhamel and truffaut usual musician . this be one of the best of his suspense movie along with ¨farenheit 451 and shoot the piano player¨ . remade by an inferior version by michael christofer ( 2001 ) with antonio banderas and angelina jolie and jack thompson and full of erotic and lust scene .