Les noces rouges

Under the surface of middle class boredom and entrapment, love for the forbidden and unattainable drives two respectable, kind people to murder. It isn't realistic, yet feels real, as does the daughter's unconscious urge to destroy her beloved mother. The murder victims are at once pitiable and richly deserve their ends. The performances are great all round.

I believe this film is based on a real double murder by Bernard Coustie in 1970, and follows that closely until the final scenes. I was shocked by the Benny Hill quality of the love scenes which undermines the early scenes. The acting as a whole has a semi-comic feel and the film is short and feels perfunctory - if it wasn't Chabrol would we even remember it? However, the score is terrific, and as a time-capsule of small town France it is entertaining.

By no means one of Chabrol's finest this is nevertheless most watchable and the most agreeable and sinister soundtrack always suggests this may become something much grander. As it is it is a fairly predictable tale with the odd twist but leaves the two leads/lovers ending up looking rather stupid. I'm sure Mr Chabrol, like his mentor, Hitchcock found himself a little less than at ease with the ladies. Hence his wife Stephane Audran and Michel Piccoli, two great actors, but who it has to be said, are both so seemingly lacking in passion, are asked to convince that they would gladly rush to a riverbank or rooms within a stately home to make wild, passionate love. I don't think so! Claude Pieplu is great fun as the at first pompous and later calculating cuckold husband and although we are assured he is not 'up to the job' he seems to have far more fire in him than the other two. Certainly worth watching this is a curious example of the director's work and just goes to show that, again like Hitchcock, even his lesser films are at least interesting, if a little awkward.

In a small town in France, the mayor Paul Delamare (Claude Piéplu) invites the leftist Pierre Maury (Michel Piccoli) to be his deputy mayor in his reelection. Paul is married to Lucienne Delamare (Stéphane Audran) and stepfather of Lucienne's teenage daughter Hélène Chevalier (Eliana De Santis), but sexually neglects Lucienne. Pierre is married to the weak, sick and bitter Clotilde Maury (Clotilde Joano). Soon Pierre and Lucienne have a torrid lover affair during Paul's frequent travels to Paris. When Clotilde dies, the doctor believes it was a suicide, and the case is closed by the police. Paul proposes a dirty real estate business to Pierre to lure the inhabitants of the town and make lots of money, but Pierre is reluctant to accept the proposal. Pierre discloses to Lucienne that he killed Clotilde that was very ill, and they should take care with their encounters to avoid gossips and suspicion from the locals. When Pierre travels to Paris, Lucienne spends the night with Pierre, and when she returns home at 4:00 AM, Pierre surprises her since he has not traveled. He calls Pierre and uses his affair to force Pierre to accept the dirty deal. Now Paul will travel to Paris, and Lucienne asks him to go with him. While Lucienne is driving in the lonely road, she stops the car on the shoulder and Pierre kills Paul and burns the car to the ashes simulating an accident. The police clear Lucienne and close the case as car accident, but Pierre advises her not to see each other for a long period. Everything is perfect for the two lovers until something unexpected happens.

"Les noces rouges", a.k.a "Wedding in Blood" (1973), is a suspenseful romance by Claude Chaborl, with naive plot point and conclusion. The plot is excellent until the moment that Hélène writes a letter to the chief of police. Maybe such naivety could be acceptable in 1973, in the countryside of France. However, on the present days, it would be ridiculous. But the politician Pierre confessing his murders, including his wife's one, and without a lawyer is not acceptable. Romantically it might work but is not credible. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Amantes Inseparáveis" ("Inseparable Lovers")

I was very surprised upon reading some of the comments for this film after having seen it - not only is this not a lesser Chabrol movie or a non-entertaining one, for my money its Chabrol at his subtle and intriguing best, and no doubt up there with the likes of The Unfaithful Wife and Le Boucher! The plot is not particularly original, but it's not too important as it's Chabrol's style and attention to detail that really makes the film what it is anyway. The plot seems to take a lot of influence from the classic 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' and focuses on murder due to an illicit love affair. Lucienne Delamare is not so happily married to town major Paul Delamare and, unbeknown to her husband, is currently engaged in an affair with her husband's assistant Pierre Maury. The two are able to spend time together because Paul is often away on business. Pierre's wife Clotilde is weak and sick and when she dies suddenly, the town suspect suicide; but the truth is more sinister, as revealed by Pierre's confession to Lucienne...

The film is kept interesting as Chabrol always focuses on the important elements and ensures that the chemistry between the leads is always engaging. The acting is once again superb with Chabrol's beautiful wife (at the time) Stéphane Audran being suitably brooding and mysterious in the lead role and receiving excellent support from Michel Piccoli and Claude Piéplu. The village in which the film takes place is also well thought out and Chabrol manages to create a foreboding atmosphere stemming from that. As usual with Chabrol films, this one is beautifully shot and realised and it's clear that the director put a lot of care and attention into the film. As usual, the suspense is generated through intrigue and the way that the characters are developed rather than through scenes of tension, though there are some brilliant sequences in the film - a pivotal scene towards the end involving a car accident being particularly noteworthy. I wouldn't recommend this film as a starting point for someone who has not previously seen a Claude Chabrol film, but I'd be surprised if fans of his don't enjoy it. Highly recommended!