The plot is based on Section 635 of the penal code: an escaped convict gains his freedom after 20 years if, by that time, he has not been caught by the police. Thus begins a race against time when Gisèle, who had been abandoned by her lover Burat, recognizes him on a cruise. Out of hatred, she does everything in her power to prevent the law from taking effect. But time is running out... Italian film diva Francesca Bertini and Rudolf Klein-Rogge, better known for playing villainous roles like Dr. Mabuse, take centre stage in this stylish, thrilling film.
The screenplay was written by Alfred Machard, a leading French novelist, and it featured two huge international stars: German actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge, famous for having lent his frame and his unusual features to major works of Expressionism (including Fritz Lang’s sinister Doctor Mabuse), and playing against type here, and Italian actress Francesca Bertini. Ever the femme fatale, the actress had consistently triumphed since 1910 under the aegis of top Italian filmmakers and was set on continuing her dazzling career. The frenetic pace of the edit was intended to match the action, based on Article 635 of the criminal code stipulating that after 20 years on the run, a penal colony escapee can regain his freedom if he evades capture by the police. […] We recall the raid sequence, reminiscent of Pabst, and the upwardly mobile Bertini as she climbs the social ladder, depicted through successive shots of ever more luxurious motor cars. We recall the director’s punctuation of the action through silent close-up shots of noisy objects (ticking clocks, telephones, ocean liner sirens […] and his ambition to give European cinema an aesthetic dimension. In the end, the glory of TU M’APPARTIENS! resides in the majestic poise of the eternally photogenic Francesca Bertini.
Pierre Philippe, 36th Il Cinema Ritrovato catalogue, Bologna, 2022
