Shock Treatment (1973)
"Traitement de choc" (original title)

Doctors at a rejuvenation clinic discover a formula that will prevent aging. However, it involves harvesting the blood and body parts of young men, a process that the doctors aren't particularly averse to.

Director:

Alain Jessua

Writers:

Alain Jessua (scenario), Roger Curel (adaptation)

Stars:

Alain Delon, Annie Girardot, Robert Hirsch

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alain Delon	...	Docteur Devilers
Annie Girardot	...	Hélène Masson
Robert Hirsch	...	Gérôme Savignat
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Docteur Bernard
Gabriel Cattand
Jeanne Colletin
Robert Party
Jean Roquel
Roger Muni
Lucienne Legrand
Anne-Marie Deschodt
Salvino Di Pietra
Gabriella Cotta Ramusino
Nicole Gueden
François Landolf	...	(as François Landolt)

Storyline

When the executive of the fashion industry Hélène Masson is dumped by her lover, she has a midlife crisis and her friend Gérôme Savignat advises her to spend vacation in the isolated rejuvenation clinic owned by Dr. Devilers and his partner Dr. Berbard. Hélène is welcomed by the happy clients and befriends the Portuguese employee João, who is an illegal immigrant, practicing her knowledge in Portuguese language with him. After the first injection of a formula based on animal blood, Hélène feels very well, But soon Gérôme can not afford to pay the treatment and commits suicide. Then João disappears and Dr. Devilers does not allow her to check-out the clinic. Hélène goes further in her investigation of the clinic and finds the secret of the rejuvenation formula of Dr. Devilers.

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Plot Keywords:

rejuvenation | male frontal nudity | male nudity | shock treatment | paris france | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French Portuguese

Release Date:

November 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shock!

Filming Locations:

Belle-Île-en-Mer, Morbihan, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

A.J. Films, Lira Films, Medusa Produzione

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

The Brotherhood of Youth

When the executive of the fashion industry Hélène Masson (Annie Girardot) is dumped by her lover, she has a midlife crisis and her friend Gérôme Savignat (Robert Hirsch) advises her to spend vacation in the isolated rejuvenation clinic owned by Dr. Devilers (Alain Delon) and his partner Dr. Berbard (Michel Duchaussoy). Hélène is welcomed by the happy clients and befriends the Portuguese employee João, who is an illegal immigrant, practicing her knowledge in Portuguese language with him.

After the first injection of a formula based on animal blood, Hélène feels very well. But soon Gérôme can not afford to pay the treatment and commits suicide. Then João disappears and Dr. Devilers does not allow her to check-out the clinic. Hélène is suspicious that something is wrong and she goes further in her investigation of the clinic and finds the secret of the rejuvenation formula of Dr. Devilers.

"Traitement de Choc" is an unbelievable story of a doctor that uses illegal immigrants as an important component of his formula of rejuvenation. The story is of the same year of "Soylent Green" and both uses human blood and flesh with different purposes. The director Alain Jessua uses a bold but also silly scene of frontal nudity of the actors and actresses that does not add any value to the movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Tratamento Diabólico" ("Devilish Treatment")