Eyes Without a Face (1960)

A surgeon causes an accident which leaves his daughter disfigured, and goes to extremes to give her a new face.

Director:

Georges Franju

Writers:

Jean Redon (novel), Pierre Boileau (adaptation) (as Boileau-Narcejac)

Stars:

Pierre Brasseur, Alida Valli, Juliette Mayniel

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Pierre Brasseur	...	Le docteur Génessier
Alida Valli	...	Louise
Juliette Mayniel	...	Edna Grüber
Alexandre Rignault	...	L'inspecteur Parot
Béatrice Altariba	...	Paulette Meroudon (as Beatrice Altariba)
Charles Blavette	...	L'homme de la fourrière (scenes deleted) (as Blavette)
Claude Brasseur	...	Un inspecteur
Michel Etcheverry	...	Le docteur Lherminier - médecin légiste / Forensic surgeon
Yvette Etiévant	...	La mère du petit malade (as Yvette Etievent)
René Génin	...	Henri Tessot
Lucien Hubert	...	Un homme à l'enterrement
Marcel Pérès	...	Un homme à l'enterrement (as Marcel Pères)
François Guérin	...	Le docteur Jacques Vernon (as Francois Guerin)
Edith Scob	...	Christiane Génessier

Storyline

After causing an accident that left his daughter Christiane severely disfigured, the brilliant surgeon Dr. Génessier works tirelessly to give the girl a new face. He does so however by kidnapping young women and attempting face transplants. He has been woefully unsuccessful to date. The doctor's world begins to collapse around him when his daughter realizes just what he has been doing.

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Plot Keywords:

captive woman | disfigured face | surgeon | experiment | face transplant | 

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Taglines:

Beautiful women were the victims of his FIENDISH FACIALS!!! [American retitled and dubbed version poster]

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hubert de Givenchy created the gowns that Christiane wears throughout the movie.

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Goofs

License plate changes numbers between shots as the doctor is backing up and pulling into his garage for the first time. As he walks through the garage, into the house, you can see the original plate '7769' on his assistant's car.

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Quotes

Doctor Génessier: Smile. Smile. Not too much.

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Alternate Versions

The film was re-released to US theaters completely uncut and under its original title on October, 31st 2003.

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Connections

Referenced in El Mascarado Massacre (2006)

User Reviews

one is held in awe and horror right to the stunning finale

Still powerful after all this time. I remember, when first seeing this in the early sixties, being outraged that I was asked to pay to see what I compared to watching people have their teeth pulled. Not having seen it since till now I have always remembered that scene, but also the poignant lead in the lifelike mask that floated about the palatial dwelling like some surreal being and always that dreadful sound of the caged dogs barking. Much emphasis on the sounds of things being dragged, scraped and dropped - steel and stone and a dark menacing outside from whence young girls are brought in the name of science and in particular a new face for the masked one. Extremely strong central scene and always the threat of more. The police and routine hospital scenes give brief respite but for most of this masterpiece one is held in awe and horror right to the stunning finale.

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

24 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus

Filming Locations:

River Marne, Noisiel, Seine-et-Marne, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,628, 2 November 2003

Gross USA:

$58,565

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,254

Company Credits

Production Co:

Champs-Élysées Productions, Lux Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1