L'enfer [DVD]

Must admit I'm smitten with Emmanuelle Beart's exquisite looks (especially in her younger days) - AND - this film really displays her loveliness to the max! The story follows the (ultimately ill-fated) romantic entanglements of a youthful hotelier and his wife (Emmanuelle!) as they get married, have a kid, and are running a successful tourist establishment where all seems perfect - UNTIL - the husband starts to have misgivings about his wife's marital fidelity. Once the doubts enter his mind he rapidly descends into an increasingly dismal jealous obsession that destroys their marriage and business. It isn't a pretty story - but it is very gripping - with excellent performances all around. As previously noted - Ms Beart looks fantastic thru it all - so - despite the rather low-key plot line - it is well worth several viewings. For those that may be interested in such - there are a couple of flashes of Emmanuelle in the buff and even a little bondage scene as the paranoid husband attempts to keep his wife at home by tying her to the bed! All good stuff.

A seemingly perfect marriage between Emmanuelle Beart and Francois Cluzet, begins to break down when Cluzet starts to suspect (without any real evidence) that his wife is having an affair. This paranoia threatens to develop into violence.Directed by that French master of suspense, Claude Chabrol and written by Henri-George Clouzot (who also wrote Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques), it can wander a little in some of the earlier scenes, but Cluzet's performance, as his character's madness develops, is superb.Beart is excellent, but Cluzet dominates the film.The DVD also has a fascinating interview with Chabrol.

Based on a script by Clouzot, the aim of this movie is to describe the patholgy and psychology of man, Francois, who succumb slowly under the weight of jealousy. This movie is amazing, and describe the psychological aspect of this "disease" in a very defined way. Clouzot has actually done a long study of the phenomenon of jealousy, it is therefore highly detailed and enlighted by Chabrol art to slow down the pace of the movie up to the point that, just like Francois, time seems to be infinite. It's a mental torture for Francois, he is prisoner of his thoughts and his mind killing the reality slowly. This movie is a must see!!!!

It is difficult to not become completely engulfed in mental frenzy by this film. Basically, it is about a husband who becomes obsessed with the notion that his wife is having an affair with everybody. He follows her wherever she goes and accuses her of infidelity. He is so consumed by this belief (and we see what he sees too) that he eventually locks his wife away. By this stage he is hearing conversations in his head and had gone totally mad. Very convincing performances which leave you feeling incredulous as to this man's mental state.

For a study in jealousy L'Enfer (Hell) bears comparison with Hitchcock or Polanski at their best. Francois Cluzet's descent into madness is a truly great performance. The camera simply loves Emmanuele Beart, Cluzet's wife in the film. The viewer is left guessing whether Beart's affairs are reality or Cluzet's increasingly frenetic fantasies. One of the great films of the genre.

Not much else to say really: apart from get some nibbles and wine, turn the lights out, light a candle and enjoy....

This is a must see film about Narcissism, which is a very serious and incurable, permanent psychological disorder of the mind. Narcissists can't (sociopaths/psychopaths) or won't (NPDs) want to recognise, let alone accept or encourage the boundaries others set for themselves so that a healthy respect for the individual results. Non acceptance of others' boundaries or individuality makes trust and acceptance impossible. The narcissist knows he can't trust himself so he can't trust other either. All other's 'own self' must naturally reflect the mind of the narcissist (to pose no threat). If it does differ, and pose a threat, the narcissist will / must erode the individuality of the outside target / 'significant' other to make them reflect their reality so that both personalities are the same (reflection in the mirror effect). Fact and fiction becomes interwoven, and this is what happens here in this film. The target (wife) is the mirror image of the male (husband) because he can't look beyond himself to trust his wife. In this film, the emerging manifestation of the husband's narcissistic disorder believes that his beautiful wife is having an affair. The fact that she isn't doing this makes no impact on him. The film also takes you into the mind of the narcissist husband becuase you too, as the viewer, are not quite sure if the wife is having a real affair either. Therefore, to the husband she is having an affair simply because he believes it to be so. Fiction becomes fused with fact. She can't prove to him that she is faithful because only his version of 'reality' matters - no matter how fictional in reality. When his wife fleetingly forces, theatens and scolds him to confront his damaged and damaging psychology, it does not lead to better understanding and better relations between them- as it might with normal couples, when trust is tested or perceived to be tested; instead it intensifies because anyone that threatens the narcissist view of the world is just viewed with cynicism and more suspicion to reinforce the paranoia. Therefore, his awful behaviour intensifies still further to out and out paranoia and ultimately to complete destruction. Narcissism is about self destruction - starting with the outside world, moving inwards towards friends, family and finally to themselves. Narcissists die lonely, empty (either literally or in their minds) because they are lonely and empty on the inside. If you don't accept others' boundaries you certainly have none of your own and without boundaries you become a series of leaks, spilling through the cracks of those most vulnerable and out onto the heads of others who are affected by such destructive behaviour; they are not a perfectly formed river that some might like to paddle on; others watch or to walk besides or to ignore.

This is a truly awful film. A man is obsessively jealous of his beautiful wife. Yes, I get it. The idea simply repeats over and over again. He obsesses, accuses her and then apologises and makes up. Honestly Emanuelle, I'm thinking, just leave the creep. No, she doesn't. Again and again. Come on. I admit I couldn't watch it to the end. Hell is an apt title though. It's hellishly borting. Please don't compare it to Polanski or Hitchcock. It was so tedious. If you want to see it, don't waste your money, you can have my copy.

C'est un chef d'œuvre 🌸 L'histoire de descendance, la confiance perdue qui fait aliénation entre les deux à jamais 👫

The images and subject matter of this unusual, mesmerizing film, "L'Enfer" based on Henri-Georges Clouzot's final script and adapted and directed by French Hitchcock, Claude Chabrol are breathtakingly beautiful. After seeing his "La Ceremonie" I became a hardcore Chabrol fan embarassingly for the first time that I can remember. Clouzot is also a favorite of mine and usually posthumous marriages of this kind could fare better like Traufaut's script of "The Little Thief." The acting is superb. I do not know what the fuss is about the "DVD transfer" as I ordered a used copy that was perfect and everything is gloriously preserved to watch again and again, it is that brilliant.

Descriptions of the movie I read before buying it referred to Paul as succumbing to green-eyed jealousy or being driven crazy with jealousy, but early on in the movie he has a conversion with a disembodied voice concerning his wife's actions. Hearing voices (and especially carrying on a conversion with them) is one of the major signs of insanity and paranoid delusions is also a symptom. Paul is already insane, I believe the reviewers I read have it backwards. Jealousy is not driving Paul mad, his insanity is driving his jealously. About half way through the movie he seems to also be seeing things which are not there, or more precisely he seems to be seeing scenes in a movie about the hotel which are totally different than what is actually on the screen. This is in addition to the fantasies he often has about what his wife is up to with other men. He speaks of suicide more than once, and eventually he claims that everybody is sick except him. Two more traits of an insane person. His jealously is getting worse because his insanity is getting worse, not the other way around.Paul's character is well thought out and well acted. I only had two problems with this movie worth mentioning. First, how stupid Paul acted at times. That is not to say there was anything wrong with the movie, or how his character was portrayed. It was in fact appropriate for the character and the movie portrayed it quite well. It is due to my personal likes and dislikes in movies. I simply loose interest in a movie where a character is acting this stupid regardless of the reason. Second, I found the ending confusing, you might say that I was having about as much trouble telling reality from fantasy as Paul. Of course that was probably the intent, so good job. Just the same I prefer endings where I know what happened.A little off subject, but still worth mentioning, there are a couple things in this French movie which you would not see in an American movie. In one scene where Paul is watching a motor boat on the lake (and stalking his wife) there is a person on the beach completely nude. It is in the distance but it appears to me to be a teenage boy. He has his back to the camera and during the scene puts on a pair of shorts. He is far away and a little out of focus and I probably would not have even noticed except that this is one of the sequences in which Paul is being stupid and I was loosing interest. Also, in one scene when Paul and Nelly are talking, she is drying off their young son after his bath (he is about four-years-old). In this scene whenever the camera is on her, which is about half of the time, the boy is seen fully nude facing the camera. American cinema would not show that even though (or maybe because) he is only four.

Claude Chabrol a repris et fini ce film dans une approche moins expérimentale que H-G Clouzot sans toutefois le finir réellement. L'enfer est la description clinique de la jalousie maladive qui détruit votre entourage et vous détruit de l'intérieur. Sujet difficile à filmer sans aucun doute. Les acteurs sont parfaits. Emmanuelle Béart irradie de sensualité et de joie de vivre ( au début du film ), François Cluzet joue parfaitement sa descente aux enfers jusqu'à entendre des voix et avoir des hallucinations. On retrouve de façon surprenante Marc Lavoine dans le rôle du bel homme qui tourne autour d'Emmanuelle Béart. Il faut dire que dans ce film, elle a les yeux revolver. : -) Pour Chabrol, le diagnostic est posé. La jalousie maladive est la porte d'entrée vers une autre maladie mentale beaucoup plus grave. Un bon Chabrol à voir ou revoir qui n'est toutefois pas à la hauteur de ses plus grands films ( La femme infidèle, Les biches... ). Vu en DVD. Image de qualité.

SUPER QUICK SHIP & DVD plays just fine! THANKS for the DEAL!