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 | |
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Michel Etcheverry | ... | Le docteur Lherminier - médecin légiste / Forensic surgeon |
Yvette Etiévant | ... | La mère du petit malade (as Yvette Etievent) | |
René Génin | ... | Henri Tessot | |
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Lucien Hubert | ... | Un homme à l'enterrement |
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Marcel Pérès | ... | Un homme à l'enterrement (as Marcel Pères) |
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François Guérin | ... | Le docteur Jacques Vernon (as Francois Guerin) |
Edith Scob | ... | Christiane Génessier |
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. Written by garykmcd
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.