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      This Man Must Die

      PG Released Oct 20, 1970 1h 55m Drama List
      100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 79% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings Charles Thenier's (Michel Duchaussoy) son is killed by a hit-and-run driver and, when the police investigation yields nothing, he does his own detective work. He meets the killer's sister-in-law, Helene (Caroline Cellier), and pretends to romance her. Soon he's invited to meet the family and learns that the killer, Paul (Jean Yanne), is a completely reprehensible person. Charles hesitates to kill him, however, because of what's become an increasingly sincere attraction to Helene. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (8) Critics Reviews
      Stefan Kanfer TIME Magazine This Man Must Die is as full of intelligence as a seminar and as suspenseful as a series of passes at Monte Carlo. Feb 8, 2018 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times It is a macabre, bizarre study of the hazards of revenge, and it thrills us not with chases or cliff-hangers but with the relationship between good and evil people. Rated: 4/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion A dour thriller slowly becomes a showcase for Chabrol's perverse humanism Jan 31, 2010 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 30, 2005 Full Review Andy Klein Los Angeles CityBeat Rated: 4/5 May 19, 2005 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A great villain performance by Jean Yanne. Rated: B Jan 26, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Before the credits roll we see a young boy struck down and killed by a hit-and-run driver. The boy's (possibly widowed) father rushes to him, vowing to kill the driver of the car. Thus begins an inevitably sombre film that again reveals director Claude Chabrol's fascination with Hitchcock's methods and themes. Our "hero" has no trouble finding the killer and getting close to him by seducing his sister-in-law. The quietly perverse obsession is reminiscent of the similar (but different) compulsion of Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo; but here we get to hear Michel Duchaussoy's thoughts in voiceover and he writes them down in a diary. The killer (Jean Yanne) turns out to be truly awful, a real prick that no one can stand, but who has power and money. The stage is set for suspense, as we wait (and wait and wait) for Duchaussoy to make a move. His cool dispassionate demeanor doesn't give much away, but still a cat-and-mouse game evolves. When the cops show up for the denouement, things are not quite settled (Chabrol does revel in ambiguity) but weighty moral questions have been aired out. All told, this is not quite the thriller it seems but not Bergman either. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member father sets out to avenge son's death. somehow, it ain't amongst my better liked chabrols. a lil overrated? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member (****): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Well-acted and intriguing throughout. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member This suspenseful tale of revenge and morality reasserts Chabrol as one of France's principle filmmakers and provides a commentary on the bourgeoisie and justice. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Chabrol explores the idea of how far vengeance can take a person, and just how cold one can become in the face of the death of a loved one. The weak point here is Cellier's performance, which seems too reserved for the situation. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Thought-provoking, twisty psycho-thriller. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      This Man Must Die

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Charles Thenier's (Michel Duchaussoy) son is killed by a hit-and-run driver and, when the police investigation yields nothing, he does his own detective work. He meets the killer's sister-in-law, Helene (Caroline Cellier), and pretends to romance her. Soon he's invited to meet the family and learns that the killer, Paul (Jean Yanne), is a completely reprehensible person. Charles hesitates to kill him, however, because of what's become an increasingly sincere attraction to Helene.
      Director
      Claude Chabrol
      Screenwriter
      Claude Chabrol, Nicholas Blake, Paul Gégauff
      Production Co
      Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      French (Canada)
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Oct 20, 1970, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      May 31, 2019
      Runtime
      1h 55m