In this classic adaptation of Emile Zola's novel, a tortured train engineer falls in love with a troubled married woman who has helped her husband commit a murder.
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Title: La Bête Humaine (1938)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jean Gabin | ... | Jacques Lantier | |
| Simone Simon | ... | Séverine Roubaud | |
| Fernand Ledoux | ... | Roubaud (as Ledoux sociétaire de la Comédie-Française) | |
| Blanchette Brunoy | ... | Flore | |
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Gérard Landry | ... | Le fils Dauvergne (as Gerard Landry) |
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Jenny Hélia | ... | Philomène Sauvagnat (as Jenny Helia) |
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Colette Régis | ... | Victoire Pecqueux (as Colette Regis) |
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Claire Gérard | ... | Une voyageuse (as Claire Gerard) |
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Charlotte Clasis | ... | Tante Phasie, la marraine de Lantier (as Germaine Clasis) |
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Jacques Berlioz | ... | Grandmorin (as Berlioz) |
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Tony Corteggiani | ... | Dabadie, le chef de section (as Cortegianni) |
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André Tavernier | ... | Le juge d'instruction Denizet |
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Marcel Pérès | ... | Un lampiste (as Perez) |
| Jean Renoir | ... | Cabuche | |
| Julien Carette | ... | Pecqueux (as Carette) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
Jacques Lantier is a train engineer who is prone to violent seizures, a condition he attributes to his forefathers' habit of excessive drinking. Roubaud is a train conductor on the same railroad that Lantier works on, married to the much younger Séverine. When Roubaud catches wind of his wife's affair with her godfather, the wealthy M. Grandmorin, he kills him during a train journey in a fit of jealousy. He makes sure that Séverine is also present, making her an accomplice to murder. Lantier, despite having witnessed them quite clearly in the train corridor, hides the fact during the investigation as he is attracted to Séverine. They both begin an affair, all the while Roubaud becomes increasingly withdrawn and starts to gamble. Séverine urges Lantier to kill her husband so that they would be free but she is unaware of Lantier's unfortunate condition. Written by Soumitra
Taglines:
From the novel "La Bete Humaine" a drama of consuming passions, directed by Jean RenoirParents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
FranceLanguage:
FrenchRelease Date:
19 February 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
La Bête Humaine See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(uncredited)
Lyrics by Maurice Nouhaud (1900)
Music by E. Becucci (from waltz "Tesoro mio")
Sung by Marcel Veyran
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Title translation: The Human Beast. See more »Soundtracks
Le coeur de Ninon(uncredited)
Lyrics by Maurice Nouhaud (1900)
Music by E. Becucci (from waltz "Tesoro mio")
Sung by Marcel Veyran
See more »
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Jean Renoir is one of the most famous & probably one of the best directors but sadly I have only seen two, this one and the masterpiece "Grand illusion". It's an excellent screen adaptation of Émile Zola's novel, it also has very beautiful photography and the acting is superb. Jean Gabin is one of my personal favorite actors. It ask the question: What makes a person to kill another human being?
It's a very inspiring film and I have not seen Fritz Lang's version of the film. Some of the sequences in the film can be compared to Hitchcock and it is a highly recommended classic. It also is very interesting because it was made in 1938.
RATING: 9/10