Bluebeard

Faithful - but uninspired - account of the notorious Landru case, which swept over post WWWI France.

The film follows the facts closely, from Henri Désiré Landru's "family life", seductions and murders to his trial and execution. Well if your objective was to get the main details of a famous serial murder case you will be satisfied. However a film lover could have expected something more fiery, more intense, more unsettling from Claude Chabrol than just that.

To tell the truth there is more to this movie than...just that. Indeed there are good production values, fine colours, slightly stylized settings and a stellar cast. Nevertheless, I couldn't help stifling a yawn now and then.

Why so? Maybe because such great ladies as Danielle Darrieux, Michèle Morgan, Mary Marquet, or Hildegard Knef are given almost nothing to do.Only Stéphane Audran stands out in the part of Landru's naïve young mistress, Fernande.

Charles Denner, on the other hand, oddly directed by Chabrol, is a physical lookalike of the "sieur de Gambais" but fails to deliver both charm and terror.

It looks as though Claude Chabrol ,who is so at ease with what I would call "domestic" monsters ( Jean Yanne in "Le Boucher" and "Que la Bête meure", Michel Bouquet in "La Femme infidèle" and several others )was petrified by his cold-hearted, cynical monster, with absolutely no redeeming features. He did not manage to bring life to his character.

Landru, too monstrous a monster , even for Chabrol ?

At the time of the First World War, a Parisian father (Charles DENNER) murders wealthy women on an assembly line. The French director Claude CHABROL made this film in 1962. His later sharpness in many socially critical films already shines through, but this film still seems a bit too theatrical. The ladies who are chased down the chimney by Monsieur Landru are worth seeing: Stephane AUDRAN, Danielle DARRIEUX, Juliette MAYNIEL and Michele MORGAN. The German actress Hildegard KNEF (1925-2002) has a very special say in this. Her role is small but nice.

The previously missing French scenes have now been added to the German dubbed version. This also gives you more information about the trial against the convicted woman murderer.

Not a masterpiece, but definitely interesting for film enthusiasts!

During the World War I, in France, the middle-aged, bearded trader of furniture Henri-Desiré Landru (Charles Denner) is married with four children. He spends a few time with his family since he has a secret life. He publishes advertisements looking for lonely wealthy women and seduces them with his politeness. Then he travels with them to a house in Gambais, where he kills them and burns them to the ashes in his stove. Then he returns home with money claiming that he earned in business trips. When he meets the beautiful Fernande Segret (Stéphane Audran), she becomes his mistress. He kills at least eleven women until the day the sister of one of his victims recognizes him. But the police need to find evidence but there is no body.

"Landru" (1963), a.k.a. "Bluebeard" tells the true story of the French serial-killer Henri-Desiré Landru, known as Bluebeard, by Claude Chabrol. The dark story is entwined with funny scenes to break the gruesome behavior of Landru. The part of his trial is too long and could be shorter. The cinematography is very beautiful as well as the actresses. It is another great film by Chabrol and worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Verdadeira História do Barba Azul" ("The True Story of Bluebeard")

One of Chabrol first investigations of bourgeois morals was this ambitious depiction in colour of the activities of France's most notorious serial killer - who had already inspired Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux' - the failure of which would confine Chabrol to spending the next five years on journeyman work.

The scene that serves to remind you that it was the work of one of the nouvelle vague is an extended take in which the police head for the exit, pile through the wrong door and run straight into a brick wall. Any normal director would have simply done it again; but Chabrol obviously liked the effect. So in it stayed.

Kauffmann was a distinguished critic and one I read avidly over many years. He loved this film. Out of respect for him I was curious to see it and now, I'm sorry to say, have and feel disappointed.

For one, very disappointed in Jean Rabier's flat colours - too pale orange and boring browns. The film looks like a mediocre Hollywood musical. Which is doubly sad because the costumes are spot on. One would think that with Claude Chabrol at the helm, the Belle Epoque would have been conveyed so well.

Charles Denner is a bit stiff, mannequin-like in the lead role but still impressive due to his intensity and voice. His voice, like so many first-rate French actors, is his best instrument - deep, rich, wonderful to hear. Less stiffness in body movements would have rounded out a first-class performance.

The women are wonderful - Danielle Darreaux, Michele Morgan, Catherine Rouvel, etc. Luminous and moving, even under the flat colours.

There are occasional Chabrol pleasures to be had now and then - the opening shot of Denner's head at the family dinner table followed by the WW1 newsreel, his time in bed with his lover and his walks with the other women were impressive and promised much but alas, the work felt repetitive, even predictable and never did come together for me. It felt more like a teasing theatrical matinee play than a gripping film about a notorious serial killer, caught between the beauties and horrors of his age.