La rupture (1970)

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Charlotte Armstrong (novel)
Claude Chabrol (writer)

Release Date:

26 August 1970 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Helene Regnier's husband Charles, who is mentally ill, injures their son Michel in a rage. Charles moves...

Plot Keywords:

Boarding House | Ex Stripper | Rooming House | Class Differences | Social Differences

Cast

Stéphane Audran	...	Hélène Régnier
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Paul Thomas
Michel Bouquet	...	Ludovic Régnier
Annie Cordy	...	Mme Pinelli
Jean-Claude Drouot	...	Charles Régnier
Mario Beccara
Serge Bento
Jean Carmet	...	Henri Pinelli
Marguerite Cassan	...	Emilie
Louise Chevalier	...	La deuxième parque
Suzy Falk
Pierre Gualdi
Harry Kümel
Daniel Lecourtois
Pierre Le Rumeur		(as Pierre Lerumeur)
Margo Lion	...	Mme Humbert - le première parque (as Margot Lion)
Maria Michi	...	La troisième parque
Antonio Passalia		(as Anthony Pass)
Katia Romanoff	...	Elise
Dominique Zardi	...	Le marchand de ballons
Angelo Infanti	...	Le docteur Blanchard
Mario David	...	Gerard Mostelle
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Maître Allan Jourdan - l'avocat d'Hélène
Catherine Rouvel	...	Sonia - la maîtresse de Paul
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laurent Brunschwick	...	Michel Régnier - le fils d'Hélène et de Charles
Claude Chabrol	...	Un passager dans le tramway (uncredited)

Directed by
Claude Chabrol

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charlotte Armstrong		novel "The Balloon Man"
Claude Chabrol		writer

Original Music by
Pierre Jansen

Cinematography by
Jean Rabier

Film Editing by
Jacques Gaillard

Production Design by
Françoise Hardy
Guy Littaye

Set Decoration by
Françoise Hardy

Makeup Department
Maud Begon	....	makeup artist
Louis Bonnemaison	....	makeup artist
Irène Servet	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Paul Arias	....	unit manager: Belgium
Patrick Delauneux	....	unit production manager
Pierre Drouot	....	unit manager: Belgium
Alain C. Guilleaume	....	production manager: Belgium (as Alain-Claude Guilleaume)
Jacques Schaeffer	....	unit production manager (as Jacques Scheffer)
Fred Surin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Collet	....	assistant director: Belgium
Michel Dupuy	....	assistant director
Pierre Gauchet	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Guy Chichignoud	....	sound
Gérard Dacquay	....	assistant sound
Louis Devaivre	....	foley artist
Jacques Eippers	....	sound: Belgium
Alex Pront	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Ralf Boumans	....	camera operator: Belgium (as Ralph Boumans)
Paul Cot	....	assistant camera
Alain Douarinou	....	camera operator
Raoul Foulon	....	still photographer
Alex Tomatis	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dany Rayet	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gilles Miroudot	....	assistant editor

Music Department
André Girard	....	orchestrator
Dominique Zardi	....	song

Other crew
Catherine Dodd	....	script supervisor
Gerard Espinet	....	administrator
Rosine Josem	....	press attache
Bernard Marsault	....	administrator
Michèle Mehary	....	production secretary: Belgium

Production Companies

• Ciné Vog Films
• Euro International Film (EIA)
• Les Films de la Boétie

Distributors

• Gaumont (1970) (France) (theatrical) (as Gaumont Distribution)
• Connoisseur Video
• Galileo Medien AG (2006) (Germany) (DVD) (Claude Chabrol Classic Editon)
• New Line Cinema (1975) (USA) (subtitled)
• Pathfinder Pictures

Also Known As:

The Breach (UK) (USA)
All'ombra del delitto (Italy)
Hallucination (Europe: English title)
The Break Up (International: English title)
The Breakup (USA)

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

France | Italy | Belgium

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Ciné Vog Films

Cleverer than thou, yet basically garbage

First, this film is very sloppy in its narrative. The exposition is very poor, so you never can tell - for instance - how far the provincial town where the action takes place is from Paris. This matters because while one character is allegedly flying over from Paris, another one can go to Paris and back within two hours. Just as the location is vague, so are the characters. Compare the characters of La Rupture to those in variously successful similar movies of the same period (Marnie - Rosemary's Baby - Secret Ceremony - the Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - the Bride Wore Black, the Naked Kiss), and you'll realize that you know nothing about the characters in the Chabrol film. Stéphane Audran has enormous star quality, but her acting is flat and uninvolving (Constance Towers or Tippi Hedren are like Katina Paxinou compared to Audran). The rest of the cast chews up the scenery shamelessly to disguise the plot gaps. And don't tell me about the critique of French bourgeoisie. There is more of that in Peau d'Ane. La Rupture may have been well received at the time, but it is a dated and lazy piece of movie-making.