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IMDb > Juste avant la nuit (1971)

Juste avant la nuit (1971) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   288 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Claude Chabrol
Writers:
Edouard Atiyah (novel)
Claude Chabrol (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Just Before Nightfall on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 March 1971 (France) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Charles Masson, an advertising executive, is having an affair with Laura, the wife of his best friend... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Won BAFTA Film Award. more
User Comments:
Interesting and intriguing thriller from Claude Chabrol more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Just Before Nightfall (USA)
Sul far della notte (Italy)
more
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)
Company:
Cinegai S.p.A. more

Fun Stuff

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

FAQ

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful:-
Interesting and intriguing thriller from Claude Chabrol, 3 March 2008
9/10
Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

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.

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