The Pledge

"The Pledge" (German: "Das Versprechen") is a thriller novel by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt, published in 1958, after Dürrenmatt thought that his previous movie script, "Es geschah am hellichten Tag" ("It happened in broad daylight") did not have a realistic ending. That made-for-television story had demanded an appropriate ending, in line with that of a typical detective story. Dürrenmatt, however, was a critic of that genre of literature, and thus he set out to write "Das Versprechen" as an expression of that criticism.

Plot summary

The novel's primary narrator, Dr. H., takes on the role of explaining to Dürrenmatt the flaws of the detective literature genre. To do so, Dr. H. relates the story of former police lieutenant Matthäi, who, on his last day with the department found himself called into an investigation of child murderer. Although a simple-minded suspect soon confessed to the crime, Matthäi's keen police instincts told him that the man was not the real murderer. He felt that there was a serial killer at work, with the girl's murder being related to two other recent child murders in the area. However, he was alone in that opinion and the police closed the case.

Having made a solemn promise to the parents of the murdered girl that he would find the culprit, Matthäi continued investigating the case as a private citizen. He was warned by a psychiatrist that the murderer he sought likely did not exist, and thus he might drive himself mad with his obsession in finding the man. Matthäi, however, was undeterred.

Through shrewd detective work Matthäi was able to construct a detailed profile of his likely killer, down to the very road the killer would probably travel on the way to his evil deeds. He purchased a gas station along the route, and then hired a housekeeper with a daughter named Annemarie, who matched the profile of the murdered girls. With Annemarie in place along the road as bait for the killer, Matthäi waited for the villain to come to him.

Matthäi's plan seemed to come to fruition, as one day the girl reported having encountered a man matching the profile Matthäi had constructed of the killer. She even included details that tie the man's behavior to that of a man the original murdered girl had reported seeing prior to her death. Matthäi planned to apprehend the killer the next day, having the police surround the area where the man was to have met Annemarie. They had lain in wait for him, but no one ever arrived.

The failure proved to be utterly devastating for Matthäi. Outsiders were finally convinced that no other killer existed and that Matthäi's quest had been borne of madness. His relationship with Annemarie was destroyed through her discovery that despite the genuine love she had developed for him, he had seen her merely as bait for his trap. Unable to fathom how his intricate and detailed detective work had not resulted in a triumphant resolution to the case, Matthäi sank finally into insanity and alcoholism.

Only years later, far too late to be of any use to Matthäi, was the truth revealed that his instincts and his detective work had been correct. However, the murderer had not arrived on the fateful day, simply because he had been killed in an auto accident while on his way there.

The tale, according to Dr. H., is an example of how the outcome of "true" police detective work finds itself subject to random chance, coincidence and events entirely outside of the control of the investigator, far more than what is portrayed in the typical detective novel, where the protagonist sleuth need merely (if cleverly) locate and assemble provided clues to reach an undeniable and demonstrable conclusion.

"Es geschah am hellichten Tag"

In the original film "Es geschah am hellichten Tag", the story was directly that of the Matthäi character, rather than being framed through its retelling by Dr. H., as in "Das Versprechen". At the end of the movie, Matthäi had demonstrated his concern for Annemarie by sending her and her mother away to safety before attempting to spring his final trap upon the murderer. The murderer arrived and was killed, thus vindicating Matthäi's persistence in pursuing the case and leading to a happy reunion with Annemarie at the story's conclusion.

Film adaptations

The novel was adapted to film in 1996 as "The Cold Light of Day", starring Richard E. Grant, and in 2001 as "The Pledge", starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Sean Penn.