What I like about French films? Their lack of pretension. This is achieved by the absence of ostentatious luxury, exaggerated costumes, and other exaggerations. They are united under the heading of "glamour," which many American films reject. They keep their works within the bounds of plausibility, and you believe them. It's as simple as death by thrombosis...
Take, for example, Claude Chabrol's play "The Unfaithful Wife" (La Femme Infidele), which premieres tonight at the Loft Theatre.
It's a murder story. And it's not another classic detective story, but a murder seen from the killer's point of view. You'll learn what led to the murder, why it happened, and even hope that the killer will escape punishment, rather than that the intrigue will mount with his exposure.
Charles and Helene are an ordinary couple living in a cozy house in the Paris suburbs. They are consumed with their young son, Michel. At first glance, they have everything.
But Helene, although she loves her husband and wouldn't change anything in her family life, has become emotionally restless and has taken a lover, whom she visits every other day in his Parisian apartment. They don't love each other and don't even pretend to. It's a fleeting infatuation, serving a momentary sexual purpose.
But Charles, sensing a change in Helene, orders a private detective to follow his wife and learns of her afternoon tryst. Intrigued by the man Helene is attracted to, he visits her lover, Victor, and disarms him with his obvious understanding and acceptance of their affair.
Suddenly flaring with unfeeling rage, Charles lifts a heavy piece of sculpture, strikes it blindly, and crushes Victor's skull. He then methodically proceeds to dispose of the body.
What Chabrol has done is take this stereotypical, soap operatic motif, populated by formulaic characters, and, through innuendo, allusions, and inventive camerawork, transform it into a work of art.
These are recognizable people in ordinary clothes, living in a home that appears lived in, enjoying time with their child, watching television before going to bed early.
The dialogue is very sparse, almost exhausted. And yet, you understand what's happening, even though Chabrol spares you lengthy explanations of why things are happening...
The film is constantly filled with magnificent moments, so skillfully crafted that you add to them your own distinctive quality, the one that sets "The Unfaithful Woman" apart.
I live with them, not just watch them: where other directors tell their story with words, Chabrol lets the camera do the work. The angles are superb, small details fill the screen and bring the plot to life.
The acting throughout is impressive. Here again, control and restraint are what give the characters depth and credibility.
Stephane Audran as the wife and Michel Bouquet as the husband do more than simply explain their actions. With a glance, a raised hand, a breath, they make you feel and experience them along with them.
It's scary to think what the average American director would have done with this ordinary little story. But the French have their own way of embracing life, telling it as it is, and creating a film no one should miss.
Claude Chabrol, one of the best directors of the New Wave.
Micheline Keating, film critic
Friday, March 13, 1970
TUCSON DAILY CITIZEN