Classic International Movie: “This Man Must Die”
October is classic international movies month. Today’s guest post comes from Marija Nielsen.
Title: This Man Must Die (Que la bête meure)
Year: 1969
Writers: Paul Gégauff (screenplay), Nicholas Blake (novel)
Lead actors: Michel Duchaussoy, Caroline Cellier, Jean Yanne,
Director: Claude Chabrol
Awards: NBR Award for “Top Foreign Film”, 1971 (USA)
Plot summary: A single father obsessed with getting revenge on the hit-and-run driver who killed his only son poses as a screenwriter in order to approach an actress who was also in the car that fateful day. But as he gets close to her and her family, another death gets in the way of his murderous plans…
Why I Think This Is A Classic International Movie
Based on a literary tour de force by acclaimed British poet Cecil Day-Lewis (1904–1972) who wrote crime fiction under the Nicholas Blake pseudonym, this movie hits all the buttons of a very large emotional sprectrum: arrogance, suffering, desire, obsession, admiration, duplicity… Director Chabrol is a master at digging into his characters’ psyche and this story seems tailor made for his skills. While expertly directing his actors, he also maintains a heavy atmosphere throughout, not once relieving the tension. It’s the kind of movie that insidiously seeps into your skin and bones like humidity and stays with you long after having watched it.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie
The true introduction of the killer driver at 51’. We catch a brief glimpse of him in the car during the introduction but then we have to wait almost an hour to really meet the beast of the title. The short dinner scene that follows is amazing in its dissection of a seriously distorted family dynamic led by a despicable human being played by Jean Yanne who delivers a flawless performance.
Another strong and suspenseful sequence arrives a little later when the father takes the killer driver out on a boat in windy weather. The driver can’t swim and is even afraid of water. I don’t want to spoil anything here — let’s just say that twists and turns are aplenty from here on out.
My Favorite Dialogue In The Movie
Charles Thenier: When I find him, I won’t kill him right away. I’ll get to know him, and savor my revenge.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie
This movie’s structure is very interesting to study in relation to so many of contemporary movies that start out with a bang and then just keep piling ’em on. Here, we get to see the way the bereft father deals with his suffering and also the way he plots his revenge all while hearing from other characters about the killer driver whom we only meet 51 minutes into the film. There’s no all out action driving the plot forward, only well-written characters interacting and growing tension.
Thanks, Marija!
To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of classic 30s movies, 40s movies, 5os movies, 60s Movies, 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on classic international movies. And thanks to the GITS community, we’ve got at least 22 movies in the works and hopefully more!
Those who I put in bold have already sent me their posts. If you haven’t sent yours to me, please do so as soon as you can!!!
A Prophet — Paul Graunke
Akira — Clay Mitchell
Amelie — Kevin Curran
Belle Epoque — Melinda Mahaffey
Cinema Paradiso — Traci Nell Peterson
Diabolique — Sherin Nicole
Jules et Jim — Susan Winchell
Kolya — Melinda Mahaffey
Lady Vengeance — David Joyner
Millennium Actress — Chris Neumann
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies — John Henderson
Reprise — Wally Marzano-Lesnevich
Seven Samurai — Will King
The Lives of Others — PaulG
The Tenant — Marija Nielsen
This Man Must Die — Marija Nielsen
Looking for more volunteers, your chance to memorialize your favorite international movie and yourself as a contributor to our ongoing blog series on classic movies.