Les Biches (film)
| Les Biches | |
|---|---|
 Film poster for Les Biches | |
| Directed by | Claude Chabrol |
| Written by | Claude Chabrol Paul Gégauff |
| Produced by | André Genovès |
| Starring | Stéphane Audran Jacqueline Sassard Jean-Louis Trintignant Nane Germon Henri Attal Dominique Zardi |
| Cinematography | Jean Rabier |
| Edited by | Jacques Gaillard |
| Music by | Pierre Jansen |
Release dates | |
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Countries | France Italy |
| Language | French |
| Box office | 627,679 admissions (France)[2] |
Les Biches (The Does) is a 1968 French-Italian film starring Stéphane Audran, Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Jacqueline Sassard. It was directed by Claude Chabrol, and depicts a tortured lesbian relationship between the Audran and Sassard characters. Audran won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 18th Berlin International Film Festival.[3] The film had a total of 627,164 admissions in France.[4]
Plot
Frédérique is a rich and beautiful woman who picks up a penniless female street artist called "Why". It is December and they go to her villa in Saint Tropez, which is inhabited by a couple of odd gay men. Frederique and Why become lovers.
Why then meets local architect Paul Thomas. They sleep together. Out of revenge, Frederique seduces Paul - only Paul and Frederique fall in love.
Paul starts to go insane, dressing up like Frederique.
Cast
- Jean-Louis Trintignant - Paul Thomas
- Jacqueline Sassard - Why
- Stéphane Audran - Frédérique
- Nane Germon - Violetta
- Serge Bento - Bookseller
- Henri Frances
- Henri Attal - Robèque
- Dominique Zardi - Riais
Production
Chabrol later admitted he included the lesbian plot in order to help the film at the box office. It was the first film he made with Andre Genovese.[5]
Chabrol talked about the story:
It is about the equilibrium of such a relationship, when someone else intervenes about the bargains that people make with each other. And about the rich, the advantage that they have over the poor, their richness. They can buy people, and the poor have to submit, until they revolt, and the only possible revolt is destruction. It is from a Marxist point of view but it is not political at all. I'm sure you cannot make a revolution with a camera. But you can show up all the people and things you dislike.[6]
Reception
The film was not successful at the box office but it has become one of Chabrol's most famous movies. It revived his reputation critically after a series of disappointing films.[2]
Chabrol said later the film marked a creative turning point for him. "With the films since Les Biches I think I'm finally on the right track," he said. "I knew I was interested in murder but what I didn't realise is that my interest isn't in solving puzzles. I want to study the human behaviour of people involved in murder.[5]
References
- ^ a b German, Yuri. "Overview: Les Biches". Allmovie. Retrieved November 18, 2009.
- ^ a b "Les Biches".
{{cite web}}: Text "website-Box office Story" ignored (help) - ^ "Berlinale 1968: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
- ^ http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=9087
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (29 Nov 1970). "This Man Must Commit Murder". New York Times. p. 131.
- ^ Waddy, Stacy (23 Nov 1968). "The bargains people make: Stacy Waddy interviews Claude Chabrol". The Guardian. p. 7.
External links
- Les Biches at IMDb
- Review of film at Roger Ebert
- Review of film in New York Times
- Review of film at Senses of Cinema
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