THIS MAN MUST DIE (DVD) (FRENCH W/ENG SUB) DVD

Que la Bête Meure
Claude Chabrol directs the tense psychological thriller Que la Bête Meure (This Man Must Die). When his young son is the victim of a hit-and-run car accident, writer Charles Thenier (Michel Duchaussoy) is determined to find the killer. Obsessed with avenging his son's death, he carefully records his thoughts in a diary. He travels to Paris and meets actress Helene Lanson (Caroline Cellier), who is a prime witness to the accident. After they start up a love affair, he discovers that the driver of the car was her brother-in-law, Paul Decourt (Jean Yanne). Paul also owns the auto repair shop that fixed up the car after the accident. Believing Paul is the killer, Charles befriends his son Phillipe Decourt (Marc Di Napoli). As it happens, Phillipe also wants Paul dead for his own reasons. Charles manages to get invited to the family's seaside home in Brittany in order to finally get his revenge, but things don't work out according to plan. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Cast Michel Duchaussoy as Charles Caroline Cellier as Helene Jean Yanne as Paul Anouk Ferjac as Jeanne Marc di Napoli as Philippe Decourt

Crew Guy Littaye - Art Director Claude Chabrol - Director Jacques Gaillard - Editor Pierre Jansen - Composer (Music Score) André Girard - Musical Direction/Supervision Louis Bonnemaison - Makeup Claude Zidi - Camera Operator Jean Rabier - Cinematographer André Genovès - Producer Paul Gégauff - Screenwriter Claude Chabrol - Screenwriter Johannes Brahms - Featured Music Nicholas Blake - Book Author

Que la Bête Meure
Often dubbed a French Hitchcock, Claude Chabrol was also greatly influenced by Fritz Lang. In This Man Must Die, Chabrol and his regular co-writer Paul Gégauff use the recurrent Langian themes of fate and revenge to explore how dark instincts are awakened even in the most civilized man. In so doing, the director consciously abandons the conventional mechanics of suspense for psychological nuances and atmosphere. Ambiguity is at the core of the film -- Charles, the "hero," is not as positive as he seems to be, and Paul, the "villain," happens to be a more complex character than he looks on a first glance. Both Michel Duchaussoy and Jean Yanne handle their intricate parts admirably. Yanne's role is flashier, but Duchaussoy manages to run a whole gamut of feelings under the mask of restraint. Caroline Cellier, who substitutes here for Chabrol's regular Stéphane Audran, offers a finely tuned performance as the confused and fragile Helene. Unlike Hitchcock, who greatly relied on elaborate shots and editing, Chabrol often prefers to let the characters explore their emotions before an unmoving camera. Locations also play an important role in the director's films, and the Brittany coast, beautifully photographed by Jean Rabier, further contributes to the movie's chilly atmosphere, as does Pierre Jansen's moody and unobtrusive score. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
 

National Board of Review, Best Foreign Film (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: French, English, Spanish Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: Additional Features: cc Letterboxed Interactive menus Scene access Biographies Trailer Still gallery MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 107 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Chapter 1 [4:05] 2. Chapter 2 [9:22] 3. Chapter 3 [6:20] 4. Chapter 4 [6:09] 5. Chapter 5 [10:30] 6. Chapter 6 [6:58] 7. Chapter 7 [7:25] 8. Chapter 8 [4:49] 9. Chapter 9 [5:51] 10. Chapter 10 [5:41] 11. Chapter 11 [3:37] 12. Chapter 12 [4:31] 13. Chapter 13 [7:00] 14. Chapter 14 [7:07] 15. Chapter 15 [5:25] 16. Chapter 16 [3:10] 17. Chapter 17 [2:58] 18. Chapter 18 [5:53]