Maigret accompanies Captain Yves Joris, a mute amnesiac, back to his hometown after Joris' housekeeper identifies him. Joris had been shot and the wound dressed and now healed . . . By someone skilled at such. But who? And why? And why was this man from a town in Normandy found in Paris? Where has he been and what has he done? Maigret is determined to find the answers when he brings the man back to his house. In less than 24 hours though the man is murdered.
Clues are few but they are there. From an ancient, crumbling chapel on the beach to the location of a small boat to oddly placed phone calls to sudden fist fights Maigret will see connections that reveal the Captain's adventures and why someone decided he had to die. Simenon's "The Misty Harbour" upon this episode is based is one of my two favorite Maigret mysteries. (The other being "Night at the Crossroads.") In the book the location is described beautifully, the characters well crafted, and the plot perfectly logical. The film, though, moves too quickly to capture the story. I realize, of course, that a 90+ minute film can't cover a book completely, but I do think this episode could have used 10 more minutes. Some things were cut from the book, particularly some relationships between characters, and that works OK. The problem with the film, for me, is that the ending is rushed and thus the motivations for the murder and what follows are not as clear as they could have been.
I can recommend this film, whether you've read the book or not. The story itself is a great one. (And if you see this film but haven't read the book, do so. It's Simeone at his best.)