The Pink Panther (1963)

Directed by: Blake Edwards | 115 minutes | comedy, romance, crime | Actors: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Brenda De Banzie, Colin Gordon, John Le Mesurier, James Lanphier, Guy Thomajan, Michael Trubshawe, Riccardo Billi, Meri Welles, Martin Miller, Fran Jeffries, Claudia Cardinale

‘The Pink Panther’, a film that has become an entire franchise, has taken a (prominent) place in (film) history for various reasons. First, this film marked the movie audience’s first introduction to the clumsy Inspector Clouseau, played by none other than comical jack-of-all-trades Peter Sellers. Reinterpreted for the first time in 2006 by Steve Martin, who turned it into a more self-confident comedy act, with a thick French accent, nothing beats Sellers’s seeming naivety of perfect comedic timing. In addition to introducing Sellers’ Clouseau, “The Pink Panther” was also the birth of the animated pink panther from the title, which director Blake Edwards wanted to have literally portrayed for the opening titles of the film, and who later became very popular in comics and cartoons. would become popular. Combined with Henry Mancini’s masterful Pink Panther signature tune, this is more than enough to make ‘The Pink Panther’ an indelible movie event.

What, or who, of course, is most associated with the ‘The Pink Panther’ film is the figure of Inspector Clouseau, immortalized by the inimitable Peter Sellers. Even people who haven’t seen any of the “Panther” movies will undoubtedly have seen many scenes with this clumsy inspector, or at least heard of his reputation. It will therefore surprise many that Clouseau seems to have been delegated to the sidelines in his first film appearance. He may be the central figure involved in tracking down the infamous Phantom, but he is not the leading character in the film. Much of the film follows the viewer’s ups and downs of the Phantom and his sidekicks as he tries to get closer to his coveted Pink Panther diamond. Now villain David Niven is a fairly distinguished presence, but his tactics to get the diamond are not very interesting and Clouseau is of course the main attraction. The ski scenes – which bring the snow-capped mountains into the living room in every detail on the Blu-ray – do provide fine, very cozy, nostalgia, with the cheerful music contributing to the pulp content, but it is only when Sellers comes into the picture that the viewer really straightens up. to sit. But unfortunately this happens too little. Unfortunately, ‘The Pink Panther’ is a bit of a chatty affair, without much interesting drama and with humor that kills too often, especially when Sellers isn’t involved.

The storyline with the Phantom’s nephew, played by the colorless Robert Wagner, is uninteresting, which adds nothing to the film. Always welcome is the presence of the beautiful Claudia Cardinale, who unfortunately usually acts like a relative ice queen and only throws her hair in a few scenes. And, of course, it’s a bit unbelievable that said, as an Italian, has to portray an Indian princess, especially when she’s played as a child by a full-blooded Indian girl in the film. Sellers is the main reason to watch the film. His innocence is often cute and his bumbling rarely comes across as forced. He’s just a sympathetic, naive man, who can easily be put in front of others. One of the most memorable parts of the film is where his wife – who plays doubles – has to hide both her lover The Phantom and his nephew in her and Clouseau’s room, while Sellers is also in the room and with her. want to take a bath and share the bed. But perhaps the best scene is when he wants to join his wife in bed and subtly remove his dressing gown with a seductive look. But then it turns out that he can’t untie the button of the jacket and he has to lash himself in an accident to get the thing off. It sounds very simple and bland, but when Sellers plunges into this situation, a simple idea turns into a subtle comic feat. If only the entire movie was made up of this.