
How to address the cloying and anachronistic theme of The Night of the 12th without invoking the microwaved trope of the inequality of men and women?
I can't.
What the film admittedly does is invoke the shopworn "Men are prehistoric creatures who rule the world, and just what are we to do about it."
Make a better movie about this ancient subject would help.
The Night of the 12th concerns the horrific murder of one Clare Foyer. She's walking home from a party at a friend's house; is doused with gasoline; and immolated. It's unpleasant, as you can imagine.
The movie deteriorates into a male-bashing of the genuinely concerned and maniacally hard-working Grenoble police detectives. Why? Because it's convenient. Because it denigrates the police work of delving into the victims (As well as the possible perps) background. Because it makes bad guys of the good guys by lambasting their supposed criticism of a young woman who may have made some awful choices.
It is two hours of excuse-making, mundane police work, and male-bashing.
There is also the obligatory inclusion of a woman judge, who plays the Sir Galahad role, and a female rookie recruit in the Grenoble P.D., portrayed as Eliot Ness.
The Night of the 12th is "loosely" based on (a) real case(s).
Translate that as Dominik Moll (the filmmaker) cherry-picked a collection of notes from various cases, and curated them into 120 minutes of virtue-signaling.
Prime
It's a rental, and can't vouch for getting your money's worth.
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