Mar 5, 2023
Attention: Film and documentary producers: WW2 French serial killer … proposal for one-off dramatized documentary …
This proposal is for a one-off dramatized television documentary based on the true-crime book ‘Die in Paris’ by Marilyn Z. Tomlins, published in the U.K. by Ravencrest Books Ltd. The documentary will focus on the life and crimes of Dr Marcel Petiot, a French serial killer who was active during WW2.
Dr Marcel Petiot was one of the 20th Century’s most notorious – and prolific – murderers. He remains France’s most prolific killer to this day, having killed at least 26 people, with estimates suggesting that he may have killed as many as 200.
The Crimes
Petiot’s crimes were horrific and his methodology chilling. He charmed and lured people in with the promise of an escape route from Nazi-occupied France, only to murder them through intense violence followed by incineration and incarceration in quicklime.
The Killer
Was Petiot mentally ill? Signs of his illness, if spotted when he was still a child, might have been reacted to more effectively. However, in early 20th Century rural France, his unchecked illness was fomented by circumstances and environment. His guile and the ineptitude of law enforcement officers allowed his early crimes to go unpunished, as later, so many of his crimes would go almost unnoticed. The war provided him with camouflage and opportunity, and without it, his crimes may have been less in number and would have come to light sooner.
The Documentary
Treatment Knowing the story of Marcel Petiot, the writer of ‘Die in Paris’, is confident that it lends itself to a filmed documentary treatment. Petiot’s physical attractiveness and the location of the murders in the Champs-Elysées/Étoile district with the Eiffel Tower visible at the end of Rue le Sueur add to the intrigue of the story.
Political Message
In addition to being a tale of sheer horror, Petiot’s story carries a political message. It highlights the consequences of a nation’s failure to resist aggression from another nation and the dangers of capitulating to an enemy. It also provides an opportunity to debate capital punishment.
French Perspective
The life and crimes of similar characters such as Crippen, Bundy, and Jack the Ripper have been examined at length in TV documentaries and on the big screen. However, the life and crimes of Dr Marcel Petiot have not been as widely discussed, mainly because the French still struggle to come to terms with their collaboration with Hitler and his Nazis during WW2. This reluctance to speak about Petiot has made it difficult to research him, with the last books about him in English being published 36 years ago.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a dramatized television documentary on the life and crimes of Dr Marcel Petiot would provide a fascinating insight into the darkest depths of the human condition. With the right balance of scientific objectivity and dramatic flair, this documentary has the potential to captivate audiences of all demographics.
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