Claude Chabrol 1968 film "Les Biches" marked a turn for the director after a decade, or so, after breaking into movies. Unlike other French film makers, Chabrol showed he was more interested in style over politics. The structure of this film seems mapped out carefully as there is no spontaneous moment in the film. Chabrol calculated how he wanted to present the story in his own terms. The result is a film that was ahead of its times in many aspects, perhaps in the frankness the director treats with the subject at the center of the story.
Unfortunately, we saw the film recently in the DVD transfer, which pales in comparison with the original way we saw on the big screen. Since the format is not the "letterbox" format, most scenes show only half of the actors faces. This is a film that cries for a better transfer because of the elegant lines Mr. Chabrol created for the film.
The film is divided in three chapters involving the three principals of the story. Frederique, a rich bored woman wants the beautiful young street painter she meets on one of the bridges over the Seine. It's clear from the beginning what Frederique's real intentions really are. The glances Frederique gives the young woman, "Why", as she has named her, have an explicit connotation hard to ignore by this gorgeous creature.
Things begin to change as Frederique and Why arrive at the Saint Tropez house. It's winter, so the place is empty. When the young architect, Paul Thomas, comes to a party at Frederique's he only has eyes for Why, but Frederique succeeds in snaring him. Why, in turn will begin impersonating Frederique in order to get Paul.
The main strength in the film is the superior acting Chabrol got out of all his principals. Stephane Audran made an extraordinary contribution with her Frederique. Ms. Audran caught the soul of this woman and stole the film. The gorgeous Jacqueline Sassard appears as Why, in a role that showed her to be up to the challenge her co-star presented for the actress playing opposite her. Jean-Louis Trintignant is the less interesting of the principals because his character is an enigma. Comic relief come in the way of Henri Attal and Dominique Zardi, a gay couple staying at Frederique's home.
"Les Biches" is a film to watch to see a master like Claude Chabrol doing great work.
Unfortunately, we saw the film recently in the DVD transfer, which pales in comparison with the original way we saw on the big screen. Since the format is not the "letterbox" format, most scenes show only half of the actors faces. This is a film that cries for a better transfer because of the elegant lines Mr. Chabrol created for the film.
The film is divided in three chapters involving the three principals of the story. Frederique, a rich bored woman wants the beautiful young street painter she meets on one of the bridges over the Seine. It's clear from the beginning what Frederique's real intentions really are. The glances Frederique gives the young woman, "Why", as she has named her, have an explicit connotation hard to ignore by this gorgeous creature.
Things begin to change as Frederique and Why arrive at the Saint Tropez house. It's winter, so the place is empty. When the young architect, Paul Thomas, comes to a party at Frederique's he only has eyes for Why, but Frederique succeeds in snaring him. Why, in turn will begin impersonating Frederique in order to get Paul.
The main strength in the film is the superior acting Chabrol got out of all his principals. Stephane Audran made an extraordinary contribution with her Frederique. Ms. Audran caught the soul of this woman and stole the film. The gorgeous Jacqueline Sassard appears as Why, in a role that showed her to be up to the challenge her co-star presented for the actress playing opposite her. Jean-Louis Trintignant is the less interesting of the principals because his character is an enigma. Comic relief come in the way of Henri Attal and Dominique Zardi, a gay couple staying at Frederique's home.
"Les Biches" is a film to watch to see a master like Claude Chabrol doing great work.