But there is trouble in paradise. Tyvian is moody. Could it be because he is a fraud? His biographical novel about a coal miner was actually written by his late brother. Tyvian himself was only briefly worked in the mines.
Whatever Tyvian wants, he finds it when he returns without Francesca to his home, and discovers that an unlikely couple has broken into it. They are Eve (Jeanne Moreau), a hedonistic femme fatale, and her middle-aged sugar daddy.
Although Tyvian is immediately transfixed by Eva, the feeling is not mutual. In fact, Eva seems to dislike the potentially violent Tyvian, and allows him into her orbit only to spend his money and provoke him into pathetic, desperate behavior. But then, Eva doesn't appear to like anyone, and puts up with people only to the degree that they are useful to her.
Nonetheless, Tyvian and Eva become a scandalous couple in Rome, to the shame of Francesca, who still loves Tyvian. Life begins to fall about for Tyvian, on account of his self-destructive behavior.
How others will see it. Reactions to Eva are decidedly mixed. Despite the presence of trendy Jeanne Moreau, the film was ignored by the awards circuit with the exception of the Venice Film Festival, which nominated the feature for the Golden Lion.
Today at imdb.com, the movie has a respectable 2K user votes and an okay-plus user rating of 6.4 out of 10. The user reviews are all over the map, but to the extent a consensus exists, it is that the characters are exaggerated: manly-man Tyvian, fallen woman Eva, and sweet, betrayed Francesca.
How I felt about it. The Hakim brothers Raymond and Robert were interested in producing a film based on James Hadley Chase's 1945 novel. They had Richard Burton in mind to play the lead, but Burton's career was red-hot, and the busy man instead recommended Stanley Baker, who like Burton was the son of a Welsh coal miner. Baker, in turn, requested his buddy Joseph Losey as director.
Losey's director cut was close to three hours long. The Hakims whittled about an hour from the film after Losey had left the project, and Losey disavowed the result. This may have negatively impacted the film's reception, especially in Europe, where Moreau was a major star.
Viewers of the movie are obliged to accept the motivations of the two leads though they are questionable. Why would Tyvian become obsessed with Eva, when Francesca is nicer, younger, more wealthy, more available, and more beautiful? Is it simply a matter of wanting what you shouldn't have?
And why would Eva alternately lure and dismiss Tyvian, when his behavior makes it immediately clear that he is reckless, and dangerous to be around? Does she think she can control him? Does she wish to provoke him?
The behavior of Tyvian and Eva can be exasperating to the viewer who expects consistency and clear motivation. But don't expect Eva to explain herself, and Tyvian is not going to apologize.
Besides the interesting cast, the film benefits from Gianni Di Venanzo's stark black-and-white cinematography, and Michael Legrand's score. Losey, Baker, Moreau, and Legrand were near the apex of their careers, respectively arrived at in The Servant (1963), Zulu (1964), Jules and Jim (1962), and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964).