The Fire Within (1963)

Louis Malle’s dour portrait of a suicidal writer might not be the cheery title mentioned above, but The Fire Within is an assured film from one of the best directors to emerge from France. Louis Malle was a brilliant auteur for his versatility, at times humorous and warm, pole vaults to this elegiac portrait of frayed psychosis following the last twenty-four hours of Alain Leroy, as he resolves to kill himself. Malle’s presence had a solid boost by the time of The Fire Within’s release (spin #430) following The Lovers (spine #429) and the now out of print 3 Films by Louis Malle set (Lacombe Lucien, Murmur of the Heart, and Au Revoir Les Enfants. There’s a lot of Malle out there, and I can see why the dour The Fire Within could be overlooked against the nostalgic romanticism of his peripheral works, but regardless it's immensely powerful.