7.9/10
3,457
26 user 28 critic

This Man Must Die (1969)

Que la bête meure (original title)
GP | | Drama, Thriller | 20 October 1970 (USA)
This Man Must Die Poster
A man asserts himself within the life of an actress he believes is somehow responsible for his son's death.

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Nicholas Blake (novel), Claude Chabrol (dialogue) | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Michel Duchaussoy, Caroline Cellier, Jean Yanne | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

On Disc

at Amazon

1 win. See more awards »

Photos

See all 12 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Le Boucher (1970)
Certificate: GP Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

An unlikely friendship between a dour, working class butcher and a repressed schoolteacher coincides with a grisly series of Ripper-type murders in a provincial French town.

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Stéphane Audran, Jean Yanne, Antonio Passalia
Next »
Just Before Nightfall (1971)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

Charles Masson, an advertising executive, is having an affair with Laura, the wife of his best friend, the architect François Tellier. Charles strangles Laura when one of their S&M games ... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Celia, Marina Ninchi, Michel Bouquet
Next »
La Femme Infidèle (1969)
Certificate: M Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

A man begins to believe his wife is cheating on him.

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Stéphane Audran, Michel Bouquet, Maurice Ronet
Next »
Les noces rouges (1973)
Crime | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Lucienne Delamare and Pierre Maury are having an affair. Lucienne's husband Paul is the mayor, and a French deputy. Pierre's wife Clotilde has been weak and sickly for years. Lucienne's ... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Stéphane Audran, Michel Piccoli, Claude Piéplu
Next »
The Breach (1970)
Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Helene Regnier's husband Charles, who is mentally ill, injures their son Michel in a rage. Charles moves back in with his wealthy and manipulative parents, who blame Helene for their son's ... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Stéphane Audran, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Michel Bouquet
Next »
Les Biches (1968)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Architect Paul Thomas insinuates himself into the relationship of two bisexual women living in a St. Tropez villa with tragic consequences.

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacqueline Sassard, Stéphane Audran
Next »
Dirty Hands (1975)
Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Saint Tropez, 1975. Julie Wormser and her lover, writer and neighbour Jeff Marle, plan the assassination of her wealthy husband Louis, an impotent who drinks a lot. She hits him, and leaves... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Romy Schneider, Rod Steiger, François Maistre
Next »
Le Beau Serge (1958)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

After long absence, a man returns to his hometown only to find his best friend has become an alcoholic.

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Gérard Blain, Jean-Claude Brialy, Michèle Méritz
Next »
Les Bonnes Femmes (1960)
Drama | Mystery | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

Four Parisian women navigate the world of romance and daily life looking to fulfill their dreams but often find real-life to be inescapable.

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Bernadette Lafont, Clotilde Joano, Stéphane Audran
Next »
The Hatter's Ghost (1982)
Crime | Mystery | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

Labbé, a hatter in a French provincial town, leads the life of a respectable citizen but is in fact a serial murderer. The only person to suspect this is his neighbour Kachoudas, an ... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Michel Serrault, Charles Aznavour, Monique Chaumette
Next »
Story of Women (1988)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

Marie Latour, a woman of limited schooling, raises two children in a ratty flat during World War II in occupied France. In 1941, her husband Paul returns from German captivity, too weak to ... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Isabelle Huppert, François Cluzet, Marie Trintignant
Next »
Poulet au vinaigre (1985)
Crime | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

When a small town begins losing its citizenry in a series of grisly murders, out-of-town police inspector Jean Lavardin (Jean Poiret) is sent to investigate. Could the killers be a bullied ... See full summary »

Director: Claude Chabrol
Stars: Jean Poiret, Stéphane Audran, Michel Bouquet
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michel Duchaussoy ... Charles Thénier
Caroline Cellier ... Hélène Lanson
Jean Yanne ... Paul Decourt
Anouk Ferjac ... Jeanne Decourt
Marc Di Napoli Marc Di Napoli ... Philippe Decourt
Louise Chevalier Louise Chevalier ... Madame Levenes
Guy Marly Guy Marly ... Jacques Ferrand
Lorraine Rainer Lorraine Rainer ... Anna Ferrand
Dominique Zardi Dominique Zardi ... Le premier inspecteur de police
Stéphane Di Napoli Stéphane Di Napoli ... Michel Thénier
Raymone Raymone ... La mère de Paul
Michel Charrel Michel Charrel ... Le ferrailleur
France Girard France Girard
Bernard Papineau ... Le policier
Robert Rondo Robert Rondo ... Le garagiste
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Single father obsessed with murdering the hit&run driver who killed his only child, poses as a screenwriter to get close to an actress who was in the death car. He feels fully prepared to kill the pretty young woman if she was the driver, but as his knowledge of her family grows, so does his empathy for them. Written by David Stevens

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

driver | actress | revenge | death of son | based on novel | See All (41) »

Taglines:

I don't know who he is or what he looks like or where he lives. But I am going to find him...and kill him. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

GP | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

20 October 1970 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

This Man Must Die See more »

Filming Locations:

Argol, Finistère, France See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films de la Boétie,Rizzoli Film See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philippe Noiret was originally offered the role of Paul Decourt but he turned it down. Claude Chabrol would eventually work with Noiret on Masques (1987) See more »

Connections

Featured in Le cinéma passe à table (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

Vier ernste Gesänge
Written by Johannes Brahms
Sung by Kathleen Ferrier (as Katleen Ferrier)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
the French bourgeoisie at their worst
28 August 2006 | by christopher-underwood – See all my reviews

A particularly difficult film to comment upon without giving away vital plot elements but it has to be one of the director's finest. It has the suspense he can work so well, it has the the French bourgeoisie at their worst, it has gentle eroticism and sudden brutality.

We also have here superb story telling combined with high emotional content and a continuous switchback ride of twist and turns, even though we, seemingly,have the whole plot of the film placed openly before us within minutes of the opening credits.

Meticulously directed, there is not a superfluous scene, nor even a superfluous gesture. It is pure riveting cinema from start to finish

Great performances, great camera-work, great Chabrol.
28 of 30 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 26 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Stream Trending Movies With Prime Video

Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed