Juste avant la nuit (1971)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Edouard Atiyah (novel)
Claude Chabrol (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 1971 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Charles Masson, an advertising executive, is having an affair with Laura, the wife of his best friend...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Dead Woman | Strangulation | Foreign Language Adaptation | Feelings Of Guilt

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Stéphane Audran	...	Hélène Masson
Michel Bouquet	...	Charles Masson
François Périer	...	François Tellier
Henri Attal	...	Cavanna
Jean Carmet	...	Jeannot
Celia	...	Jacqueline
Anna Douking	...	Laura Tellier
Marcel Gassouk	...	Barman
Pascal Gillot	...	Auguste Masson
Daniel Lecourtois	...	Dorfmann
Sylvie Lenoir
Roger Lumont	...	Commissaire Delfeil
Dominique Marcas
Clelia Matania	...	Madame Masson
Antonio Passalia

Also Known As:

Just Before Nightfall (USA)
Sul far della notte (Italy)

Runtime:

USA:100 min | France:106 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (DVD rating) (2005)

Filming Locations:

Le Touquet, Pas-de-Calais, France

Company:

Cinegai S.p.A.

Trivia:

Cameo: [François Truffaut]the man on the train looking directly at the camera in the middle of the film

Interesting and intriguing thriller from Claude Chabrol

Just Before Nightfall is another Claude Chabrol film that focuses on infidelity and again it's an intriguing drama and an excellent exploration of the human condition. The film starts with a murder - but this is clearly not the point of the film as the murder happens right at the start and it's off-screen; the main focus of this film is the guilt felt by the lead character and the whole film focuses on that and it's effect on the character as well as all the people in his life. The film is based on a novel by Edouard Atiyah, and the basic plot is rather simple and really serves only as a base for the central focus of the film. The plot focuses on Charles Masson. Charles is having an affair with Laura, the wife of his friend François. The two practises S&M with one another and Charles' life is thrown into turmoil when he accidentally strangles Laura to death. He later learns that Laura's marriage with François was not the average marriage as both had other partners, but he is still consumed by guilt and it impacts his life with his beautiful wife Hélène and their three children.

As is always the case with Chabrol's thrillers, this one is not heavy on action, suspense and tension; but that is more than made up for by the central character study. All the main characters are developed well and believable. The main character, Charles, is certainly the most interesting of the piece; the way that guilt overtakes him provides a different take on the common murderer theme and makes for a very interesting watch. As ever with Chabrol films, the production values are excellent and the performances are superb. The central cast of Michel Bouquet, François Périer and the beautiful Stéphane Audran are all perfectly placed in their roles and provide the film with a strong backbone. The film doesn't move particularly quickly but Chabrol always keeps things interesting by keeping the focus on the lead characters and the central situation. Overall, Just Before Nightfall is an intriguing and thoughtful film handling the burden of guilt and I would not hesitate to name this film as one of Chabrol's very best alongside the likes of This Man Must Die, Le Boucher and Wedding in Blood.