Les blessures assassines

I first saw an English version of this film many years ago with Joely Richardson playing Christine and the ever so cute Jodhi May as Léa. It was on by chance that I happened on the French version Les Blessures Assassines in a Blockbuster store. After watching it, I bought a copy. Though I liked the English version, very much, I was completely swept away by the French movie, and Sylvie Testud.

Testud, who plays Christine Papin in the film, has got to be one of the most stunning women in film today. Not only is she beautiful to look at, her acting is stellar. She takes you inside the mind of Christine Papin, whether it really happened that way or not. Also a great performance from Julie-Marie Parmentier who plays her younger sister Léa Papin.

I was simply riveted. I am now a HUGE fan of Sylvie Testud and having seen Le Château on cable, I have ordered La Captive on DVD.

Let us be very clear from the beginning, the person who came up with Murderous Maids could not have seen or understood the film. The Injured Assassins, or Injured Killers (assassins just sounds better to me) is much more evocative of the feel and content of the story. For this is not the story of a murder, but the story of two sisters who happen into murder.

First, Sylvie Testud is superb, restrained yet full of emotion, humble but full of pride, cold but full of love.

Many people have commented on the class warfare. The Jean Genet play takes that to an extreme. Some have been pulled in by the story of incest and illicit love between sisters. Denis walks deftly across these problems and presents a story that unfolds itself authentically and truly.

The mother in this movie did give me problems, she seems nicer than her effect on the girls, but remember who it is that puts them in the convent, and how she hides the secret of the oldest sister's pain using it only as a weapon to inflict damage upon Christine (Testud).

As the film came to the climax I briefly thought of Chabrol's Le Ceremonie, but that is another story, another film. Though depressing and slow, but not a second too long, this is a seriously important film for those who value the intensity with which cinema can bring the truth to light.

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.

Even though "Murderous Maids", as a title, sounds like an American sexploitation B-flick, this film tells the true story of a pair of French sisters who serve as house maids, make incestuous love with each other, and kill their employer. Set in 1930's France, this biographical film spends considerable time developing the characters so when we see their shocking behavior it seems almost understandable. With critical plaudits aplenty, numerous awards, and sterling performances by the pair of leads (Testud & Parmentier), there's little doubt this is a quality film. However, given the unpleasantness of the issues, a somewhat tedious build to the climax, lots of maid stuff, and subtitles for non-French speakers, one should give this film due consideration before committing to the hour and a half watch. Will play best with foreign film buffs and others into serious psychodramas. (B)

I watched this movie a lot of times and all that can I say this is so powerful and fierce even though it is based on a true story. Sylvie Testud's performance in this movie is absolutely amazing! Even her sex scenes with Julie-Marie Parmentier are all emotional, and I can't see any traces of incestuous sex in it, making it as my most favorite love scene ever! The murder scene, on the other hand, looks like scary to me in a slightly manner. I also salute to the director of this film for having an excellent and amazing film.