Claude Chabrol

Quote:
A small village in the Jura is divided by the river Loue which marks the line of demarcation between Nazi occupied France and freedom. A French officer, Pierre, is released by the Nazi soldiers to find his chateau converted into a German command centre. Whilst he is obliged to co-operate with the enemy, his wife Mary plays a hand in supporting the French resistance. The Nazis step up their activity against the resistance, insisting that any who attempt to cross the line of demarcation will be shot. When his wife is arrested, Pierre decides to switch his allegiance…Read More »

Synopsis:
Of the hallowed group of Cahiers du cinéma critics turned filmmakers who transformed French film history, Claude Chabrol was the first to direct his own feature. His absorbing landmark debut, Le beau Serge, follows a successful yet sickly young man (Jean-Claude Brialy) who returns home to the small village where he grew up. There, he finds himself at odds with his former close friend (Gerard Blain)—now unhappily married and a wretched alcoholic—and the provincial life he represents. The remarkable and stark Le beau Serge heralded the arrival of a cinematic titan who would go on to craft provocative, entertaining films for five more decades.Read More »

Quote:
André Mercier, is a failed, embittered writer, working under the pen name Albin Mercier. On a journalism gig in Germany, his path crosses with that of Andreas Hartmann, another writer, who’s managed to make a living for himself. The successful Andreas is married to Hélène, a beautiful Frenchwoman, who quickly becomes the apple of Mercier’s eye. While Andreas is off on a business trip, Mercier tries to seduce Hélène to make her his lover and, eventually, take over Andreas’ life.Read More »

Episode of the TV serial “Il était musicien”.
Imaginary adventure of musician Sans Saens. It shows the lack of will of a society. Isabelle Huppert plays a role as a young revolutionnary.Read More »

Charles Desvalles (Michel Bouquet) becomes suspicious that his wife Helene (Stephane Audran) is having an affair. Charles hires a private detective who comes up with the
name of Victor Pegala (Maurice Ronet) and then goes off to confron his wife’s lover.Read More »

Storyline: Leda, the flirt of Monsieur Marcoux is murdered. His wife and the police think, that the murderer was the milk-man, the friend of the maid, but Marcoux’ daughter’s fiance Lazo, who is aware of the corrupt situation in that family doesn’t agree with them.Read More »

Alice, fleeing her boring boyfriend, arrives at a mysterious house which turns out very difficult to leave. A dreamlike cross between Alice in Wonderland and a Borges story – a veritable garden of forking paths. Quite unusual for Chabrol and little known today, but deserving a re-discovery.Read More »

Synopsis:
During a wedding celebration in a small rural French village, schoolteacher Helene (Stephane Audran) strikes up a conversation with the local butcher Popaul (Jean Yanne), who has just returned from a fifteen year spell in the army. As their unlikely friendship blossoms into a tentative courtship, the town falls victim to a serial killer preying on the women of the village. Just as Helene finds herself falling for Popaul, she simultaneously begins to suspect him of being the murderer. As the tension builds, the truth is revealed, leading to an explosive climax.Read More »

A hard-working young man meets and falls in love with his sister’s bridesmaid. He soon finds out how disturbed she really is.

Quote:
the bridesmaid (First Run) Going to a new Chabrol film these days is like sitting down with an old friend who will tell you another one of his stories. Chabrol has been making films since 1958: the latest of his more than fifty features is The Bridesmaid, and another one has already been finished. He has co-written or co-adapted many of his pictures, and he has also played bit parts in some of them (as well as in the films of others). I have seen a lot of Chabrol’s films, and many others must share my sense that much of my filmgoing life is threaded throughout with his work. He has always been a director who felt that moving ahead was at least as important as polishing a single work.Read More »