La femme infidèle (1969)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writer:

Claude Chabrol (writer)

Release Date:

10 November 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Charles Desvallées has good reasons to believe that his wife is cheating on him and hires a P.D. in order to prove himself right...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Writer | Extramarital Affair | Cigarette Smoking | Husband Wife Relationship

Cast

Stéphane Audran	...	Hélène Desvallées
Michel Bouquet	...	Charles Desvallees
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Police Officer Duval
Maurice Ronet	...	Victor Pegala
Louise Chevalier	...	Maid
Louise Rioton	...	Mamy, Charles'mother-in Law
Serge Bento	...	Bignon
Henri Marteau	...	Paul
Guy Marly	...	Police Officer Gobet
François Moro-Giafferi	...	Frederic
Albert Minski	...	King Club owner (as Albert Minsky)
Dominique Zardi	...	Truck driver
Michel Charrel	...	Policeman
Henri Attal	...	Man in cafe
Jean-Marie Arnoux	...	False Witness

Also Known As:

Stephane, una moglie infedele (Italy)
The Unfaithful Wife

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:M | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Jouy-en-Josas, Yvelines, France

Company:

Cinegai S.p.A.

Trivia:

The cinema that Charles drives by advertises Les Biches, which was Chabrol's previous film.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Sa ngalan ng pag-ibig (1995)

Stylish Chabrol, thrilling from beginning to end, solid performances

THE UNFAITFUL WIFE (Claude Chabrol - France 1968).

Claude Chabrol's "La Femme infidèle" is an excellent thriller, or "A Psycho-sexual Study in Murder" as the film was advertised on certain posters, reflecting his cynical disgust against the petty bourgeoisie. Charles Desvallées (Michel Bouquet) becomes suspicious his wife Hélène (Stéphane 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 confront his wife's lover.

Bouquet and Audran pitch their roles superbly and with an excellent score, Chabrol's cold, cynical dissection of marriage and murder is just as good as anything Hitchcock ever made. Yet, the film has Chabrol's own distinctly detached style, employing different point of view shots, instantly making the viewer part of the couple's troublesome marriage as we uncomfortably watch Stéphane Audran inevitably on her way to be unmasked. Chabrol stages a long scene giving more than a little nod to Hitchcock's PSYCHO. Besides Bouquet who always gives a tongue-in-cheek performance, his charming honey-bunny assistant in his office had me laughing each time she made her appearance.

Remade in 2002 with Richard Gere and Diane Lane as UNFAITHFUL.

Camera Obscura --- 8/10