[review] Le Boucher (1970)

Le Boucher (1970), written and directed by Claude Chabrol.
Many cineastes consider French director Claude Chabrol to be a master of the mystery genre; though, perhaps his most recognized picture, "Le Boucher", is hardly a mystery at all. One third of the way into the picture you will be quite certain of the killer's identity, however, and this is where exquisite craftsmanship comes to bare, you will also be persuaded to harbor some doubt. That doubt, against all reason, is earned by the way Chabrol develops the story's characters from the inside out.




The greatness of this film has little to do with the narrative, but instead with an attention to detail which conditions a steady sense of unease. Matters of sociological concern are more important to Chabrol's story than the issue of "who done it". The terror of Le Boucher comes from Chabrol’s deliberate direction, his sense of observation, and most importantly his deep interest in character.
The real think piece of Le Boucher is a scene where Héléne takes the children for a tour through the caves of cro-magnon man and then a picnic on a cliff's edge. A sense of subdued horror builds and rather than being manifest in an immediate tragedy it is revealed in fresh drops of blood that fall onto a young girl's sandwich. As if the tension contained within the scene is allowed to bleed out, just a bit, not too much, before we then see the ghastly vision of another victim's body.

It’s a small town, murders are being committed, and the conventional rhythm of a thriller is done away with for a more vivid exploration of violence, its effects on the person, and on a whole community.