The Butcher

Who died yesterday or yesterday yesterday, actually. And one of the best part also of Stéphane Audran [with LA FEMME INFIDÈLE [also directed by Claude Chabrol - France 1968]... I totally agree with the commentaries displayed here, especially with the first one written in 1999 from Houston, if I remember well... Jean Yanne was a popular and successful director of comedies but, well directed as he is there by Chabrol, he was a high-class comedian. This part, if he had done only this one, would be good enough for having him. remembered. This original French version of the JACK THE RIPPER theme (though no prostitute is involved so far) is one of the most original of the history of movies from the beginning till today. LE BOUCHER has not at all the "baroque" aesthetic and "crescendo" dramatic aspect of the masterpieces of British Horror movies directed by Robert S. Baker and Monty N. Berman (1958) or James Hill or Peter Sasdy or even by Sir Alfred in FRENZY... but it is a full continent in itself - as well as, though in a totally different way, LES NOCES ROUGES or NADA by the same director. Chabrol is, in fact, one of the best directors of French cinema from the 60's to the 70's : after it is decreasing level after 1975 but sometimes going well again (LA CÉRÉMONIE)...