Le Beau Serge (1958)
"Le beau Serge" (original title)

Francois comes back to his home village in France after more than a decade. He notices that the village hasn't changed much, but the people have, especially his old friend Serge who has ... See full summary »

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writer:

Claude Chabrol

Stars:

Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy, Michèle Méritz

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gérard Blain	...	Serge
Jean-Claude Brialy	...	François Baillou
Michèle Méritz	...	Yvonne
Bernadette Lafont	...	Marie
Claude Cerval	...	The priest
Jeanne Pérez	...	Madame Chaunier
Edmond Beauchamp	...	Glomaud
André Dino	...	Michel, the doctor
Michel Creuze	...	The baker
Claude Chabrol	...	La Truffe
Philippe de Broca	...	Jacques Rivette de la Chasuble

Storyline

Francois comes back to his home village in France after more than a decade. He notices that the village hasn't changed much, but the people have, especially his old friend Serge who has become a drunkard. Francois now tries to find out what happened to him and tries to help him.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

January 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bitter Reunion

Filming Locations:

Sardent, Creuse, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 37,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ajym Films, Coopérative Générale du Cinéma Français

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Finnish censorship certificate register # 54816 delivered on 23-8-1960.

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Connections

Featured in Cinéma! Cinéma! The French New Wave (1992)

User Reviews

What a nice movie! "Quel Beau Film!"

Born in 1930, this contemporary of Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut and Eric Rohmer really was, like them, a vital part of the French "New Wave"...if only to have helped usher it in via a neo-realist approach. This is Claude Chabrol's first film and it launched him on a career that spanned 40 years and included mostly thrillers, often inspired by Alfred Hitchcock. Other of his notable works include LES COUSINS (1959), OPHELIA (1962), LE BOUCHER (1969) and MADAME BOVARY (1991) An "enfant terrible" and a genuine eccentric, he approached the making of this first film in a way that would later be identified with the "new wave" movement. He used mostly inexperienced actors, crude editing, lots of location filming and imbued it with a sense of spontaneity. Focusing on content over style allowed him to carve out a distinct piece work that is both compelling and a fine study of human nature. From opening shots of pensive lead actor J.C. Brially* riding a bumpy bus into his childhood town to the powerful closing shot of Gerard Blain shocked into sobering up, this film will have you looking at LE BEAU SERGE with adoration. *(Catch Brially starring in one of the finer French horrror films made; LE DEMON DANS L'ILE)