Les blessures assassines (2000)

Director:

Jean-Pierre Denis

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Denis (writer)
Paulette Houdyer (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

22 November 2000 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Plot:

Based on the true story of two chambermaids (the Papin sisters) of 1930s France who murdered their employer and her daughter.

Plot Keywords:

Employer | Daughter | France | 1930s | Le Mans

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Sylvie Testud	...	Christine Papin
Julie-Marie Parmentier	...	Léa Papin
Isabelle Renauld	...	Clémence
Dominique Labourier	...	Mme Lancelin
François Levantal	...	Le Gazé
Jean-Gabriel Nordmann	...	Mr. Lancelin
Tessa Szczeciniarz	...	Christine Papin (11 ans)
Charlotte Guille	...	Emilia Papin (13 ans)
Marie Donnio	...	Geneviève Lancelin
Camille Leproust	...	Léa Papin (9 ans)
Nadia Barentin	...	La mère supérieure
Lily Boulogne	...	Alberta
Jean Terensier	...	L'oncle
Alain Rimoux	...	Le maire
Michaël Abiteboul	...	Etienne
Brigitte Antonicelli	...	La surveillante
Didier Bardoux	...	Le rabatteur
Séverine Batier	...	Soeur Marguerite
Noëlle Cazenave	...	Hélène
Blanche Raynal	...	Madame 4
Valérie Deronzier	...	La cousine
Pascal Dujour	...	Monsieur 3
Monique Hervouet	...	Madame 1
Celine Ollivier	...	Madame 3
Maryse Pauleau	...	Invitée Lancelin
Charlotte Pétin	...	Pensionnaire
Cécile Schletzer	...	Invitée Lancelin
Michel Vivier	...	Monsieur 1
Marie Augereau	...	La codétenue
Joël Cordier	...	Monsieur 4
Flavie Jousse	...	Léa (5 ans)
Jean-Paul Dubois	...	Passant secours
Marie-Laure Ducos	...	Tante Isabelle

Directed by
Jean-Pierre Denis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Pierre Denis		writer
Paulette Houdyer		novel "L'affaire Papin"
Michèle Pétin		writer

Produced by
Laurent Pétin	....	producer
Michèle Pétin	....	producer

Cinematography by
Jean-Marc Fabre

Film Editing by
Marie-Hélène Dozo

Casting by
Jeanne Biras

Production Design by
Bernard Vézat

Costume Design by
Isabelle Boiton
Sylvie de Segonzac

Makeup Department
Françoise Chapuis-Asselin	....	key makeup artist (as Françoise Chapuis)
Agathe Dupuis	....	key hair stylist
Alexis Kinebanyan	....	special makeup effects artist
Benoît Lestang	....	special makeup effects artist
Claire Monatte	....	makeup artist
Gilles Rossire	....	special makeup effects artist
Frédéric Zaid	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Daniel Baschieri	....	production manager
Laurent Lesieur	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marianne Capian	....	second assistant director
Juliette Denis	....	trainee assistant director
Laurent Herbiet	....	first assistant director: preproduction
David Maria Putorti	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Stéphane Cressend	....	property master
Laurent Jarriau	....	property master
Virginie Le Metayer	....	set dresser
Olivier Meidinger	....	assistant art director
Olivier Schmidt	....	trainee painter
Raymond Schmidt	....	key painter

Sound Department
Julie Brenta	....	sound editor (as Julie Cuvelier-Brenta)
Benoît De Clerck	....	sound editor
Fred Demolder	....	sound assist
Philippe Demolder	....	assistant sound editor
Jean-Pierre Duret	....	sound
Michel Filippi	....	adr supervisor
Thomas Gauder	....	sound mixer
Dimitri Haulet	....	assistant sound
Philippe Richard	....	sound
Philippe van Leer	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Guy-Auguste Boléat	....	key grip
Claude Bourdais	....	grip
Sophie Cadet	....	crane operator: Louma crane
Laurent Duquesnoy	....	grip
Steve Gruen	....	Steadicam operator
Laurent Hincelin	....	assistant camera
Nicolas Le Gal	....	assistant camera
Eric Le Roux	....	Steadicam operator (as Eric Leroux)
Jérôme Prébois	....	still photographer
Marion Rey	....	assistant camera
Paulo Rodriguez	....	crane technician: Louma crane
Christian Weyers	....	electrician
Christian Weyers	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Annie Hamelin	....	extras casting
Luce Nordmann	....	casting assistant
Karine Walker	....	casting: bit parts

Editorial Department
Isabelle Julien	....	color timer
Rachel Lamisse	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Edouard Dubois	....	music consultant

Other crew
Claire de la Rochefoucauld	....	location scout
Danielle Dumanoir	....	production coordinator
Pascal Graziani	....	assistant crane operator: Louma crane
Audrey Jannin	....	location scout
Catherine Zoummeroff	....	production assistant
Zoe Zurstrassen	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• ARP Sélection
• Studio Canal (co-production)

Distributors

• ARP Sélection (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• France Télévision Distribution (2000) (worldwide) (all media)
• Fox Pathé Europa (2002) (France) (DVD)
• CinemaFilm (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• JMH Distribution (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Rialto Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Car Grip  grip and technical vehicle equipment
• Laboratoires Éclair  laboratory services
• Les Traiteurs du Vern  catering
• Pyral  sound stock
• Transpalux  lighting
• Warmflash Productions Ltd.  trailer

Also Known As:

Murderous Maids (International: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:(Banned) | Argentina:16 | France:-12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Company:

ARP Sélection

Trivia:

Visa d'exploitation en France # 96540.

Quotes:

Lea: If we were rich...
Christine: What would change? Rich ladies have everything but I've seen them weeping in secret.

Movie Connections:

Version of Sister My Sister (1994)

Sister My Sister is the superior film for this true story.

I am admittedly fascinated w/ the story of the Papin sisters and its

effect on literature and film over the last 70 years, so I looked

forward to seeing this film - knowing the content (murder, incest) is

as disturbing as it is.

Although the cast gives fine performances, and Sylvie Testud is

truly dynamic as Christine, I cannot recommend this film over

Nancy Meckler's 1994 "Sister My Sister." Where this one seems

academic in its focus on the details, SMS puts the kettle on the

slow burner and lets it heat up to the boiling point. And you will not

find more intense performances than those of Joely Richardson

as Christine and Jodhi May as Lea.

SMS is riveting and ghastly and heart-breaking all at once, where

MM left me oddly unmoved but for the graphic depiction of the

murders themselves which Meckler, thankfully, used a more

Hitchcockian hand to depict in her earlier version. Meckler also

employed a more discreet touch to the scenes of incestuous

love-making, adding eroticism to the taboo that actually enhanced

the impact of disturbance rather than making it a gross out of

fleshy incestuous sex.

So, skip this one and look back on the video shelf for the superior

Sister My Sister, and you'll be happy you did.