Les noces rouges (1973)

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

Writers:

Aeschylus (opening quotation), Claude Chabrol

Stars:

Stéphane Audran, Michel Piccoli, Claude Piéplu

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Stéphane Audran	...	Lucienne Delamare
Michel Piccoli	...	Pierre Maury
Claude Piéplu	...	Paul Delamare
Clotilde Joano	...	Clotilde Maury
Eliana De Santis	...	Hélène Chevalier, Lucienne's daughter
François Robert	...	Auriol
Daniel Lecourtois	...	Prefet / Department governor
Pippo Merisi	...	Berthier
Ermanno Casanova	...	Le conseiller

Storyline

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 husband holds no excitement for her, and he is always away in Paris on business. Pierre is now the vice-mayor, thanks to Paul. Lucienne and Pierre have a secret meeting spot by a lake along a country lane. Pierre's wife dies suddenly, by suicide the town gossips believe. Pierre confesses otherwise to Lucienne. Paul proposes a shady land deal which will "benefit the town", and wants Pierre's political support and collusion. Then Paul discovers proof of his wife's affair...

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Plot Keywords:

hitchcockian | mayor | color in title | paris france | berry | 

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Taglines:

A Matter of Lust and Death

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

12 April 1973 (France)

Also Known As:

Wedding in Blood

Filming Locations:

France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canaria Films, Italian International Film, Les Films de la Boétie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in La Cérémonie (1995)

User Reviews

even his lesser films are at least interesting

By no means one of Chabrol's finest this is nevertheless most watchable and the most agreeable and sinister soundtrack always suggests this may become something much grander. As it is it is a fairly predictable tale with the odd twist but leaves the two leads/lovers ending up looking rather stupid. I'm sure Mr Chabrol, like his mentor, Hitchcock found himself a little less than at ease with the ladies. Hence his wife Stephane Audran and Michel Piccoli, two great actors, but who it has to be said, are both so seemingly lacking in passion, are asked to convince that they would gladly rush to a riverbank or rooms within a stately home to make wild, passionate love. I don't think so! Claude Pieplu is great fun as the at first pompous and later calculating cuckold husband and although we are assured he is not 'up to the job' he seems to have far more fire in him than the other two. Certainly worth watching this is a curious example of the director's work and just goes to show that, again like Hitchcock, even his lesser films are at least interesting, if a little awkward.