Les Biches (1968)
"Les biches" (original title)

Architect Paul Thomas insinuates himself into the relationship of two bisexual women living in a St. Tropez villa with tragic consequences.

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Paul Gégauff (scenario and dialogue), Claude Chabrol (scenario and dialogue)

Stars:

Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacqueline Sassard, Stéphane Audran

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Paul Thomas
Jacqueline Sassard	...	Why
Stéphane Audran	...	Frédérique
Nane Germon	...	Violetta
Serge Bento	...	Bookseller
Henri Frances
Henri Attal	...	Robèque
Dominique Zardi	...	Riais
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laure Valmée

Storyline

Frédérique is a rich and beautiful woman who picks up a female street artist called "Why". It is December and they go to her villa in Saint Tropez, which is inhabited by a couple of odd gay men. Both women fall for the local architect Paul Thomas. However Why says that she is not interested in him, so Frédérique invites him to move into the villa.

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Plot Keywords:

architect | bisexual | saint tropez | street artist | murder | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

26 September 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bad Girls

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films de la Boétie, Alexandra Produzioni Cinematografiche

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Biche" is not only French for "doe," it is also slang for "girl" or "young woman" (just like British "bird" or American "chick" or "fox") - so the title is ambiguous: it could be taken as "The Girls," or it could very literally refer to the pictures of female deer (one of which is portrayed with another doe inside its womb) that Why draws and, in one case, keeps in her bedroom. In French the word "lesbiche" is slang for lesbian, its plural being "lesbiches".

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Quotes

Paul Thomas: Bon soir.
Why: Bon soir.
Paul Thomas: You brought me luck. I was losing a lot.
Why: Why did you keep looking at me?
Paul Thomas: Are you annoyed?
Why: No, but why keep looking at me?
Paul Thomas: Was it so noticeable?
Why: I asked you "Why?"
Paul Thomas: Why? You're... you're a girl. You're pretty, and I like pretty girls. You take me for an ogre?
Why: May I?
[...]

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

User Reviews

Fascinating.

'Les Biches', whilst not my favourite Chabrol film ranks among his best. On one level it has sumptuous cinematography on a par with 'Le boucher', another excellent score, courtesy of Pierre Jansen and some very stylish direction. All Chabrol's actors play their parts beautifully although Audran undoubtedly has the best material.

But what marks this film out and what many cannot appear to perceive is that it is not a meditation on class or a portrait of a 'menage a trois'. It does touch on those subjects, as do many of Chabrol's films, but this film is essentially about identity and it's destruction or absorption by another. Stephanie Audran's character is, put simply a VAMPIRE. This is humorously and beautifully established early in the picture when she first meets Sassard's character 'Why' on a bridge in Paris amid a Gothic mist and with Audran looking drained and evidently needing a new victim. Many have commented on Jean-Louis Trintignant's acting, arguing that it is bland or inexpert, failing to realise that as part of the plot he had to be 'consumed' by Audran and had to appear ineffectual. Compare Audran's extraordinarily vital, near superhuman character in 'Les Biches' to her purposefully meek character in 'La Rupture' and one can begin to see what a subtle and intelligent actress she is.

On first viewing 'Les Biches' some years ago I was mystified and like other reviewers irritated by the two scroungers Robegue and Riais. After further viewing it appears they are purposefully antagonistic and their apparently parasitic relationship points to them being Audran's familiars.

The raison d'etre of the film are the final sequences in which 'Why' ultimately escapes the fate of Paul and destroys Frederique by becoming her. So 'Les Biches' is essentially a nuanced and very stylised commentary on identity and it's struggle to coexist within a relationship.