[It] is not surprising that, omnivorous reader that he is, Truffaut has now (after Chabrol, it must be said) discovered Henry James. What is surprising at first glance is that he should choose The Altar of the Dead. At first glance only, for has he not always been obsessed with … obsessions of every kind? The obsession of Adèle H. with her wayward lover, the obsession of Julie with revenge in The Bride Wore Black, the obsession of [Louis] with [Marion] in Mississippi Mermaid. The obsession of Julien Davenne in La Chambre Verte, however, is with death….

As befits its subject matter, La Chambre Verte has quite a different look from Truffaut's other films. The tones are sombre, it is always raining, and the cemetery, dank and overgrown, is shot in an absolutely English shade of green. The esteem Truffaut has always expressed for Bresson is more visible...