Film - Le Boucher (The Butcher)

Le Boucher, made in 1969 and released in 1970, was a late addition to the French New Wave canon. It was directed by Claude Chabrol, a prominent member of the Nouvelle Vague (the FNW ), and a former Cahiers du Cinema critic. Like many of his French contemporaries, Chabrol was a fan of Hollywood movies and directors. Le Boucher is, in no small way, indebted to Alfred Hitchcock, but that does not mean the film is a carbon copy. That delicious French word homage is the best way to describe it. There are definite echoes of Hitchcock's suspenseful style and pacing, but Le Boucher also works as a remarkable stand alone piece.

Critical Reception of Le Boucher

Chabrol was probably the most popular of all the New Wave directors amongst the French press, but with Le Boucher he reached a whole new level. The acclaim was exceptional, with leading French daily paper Le Figaro describing it as “the best French film since the Liberation”. Only Chabrol's former film magazine Cahiers du Cinema was reticent in its praise. Ironically, the magazine that had championed Chabrol, alongside Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, during the late 50s/early 60s, now seemed intent on abandoning him. They had disliked his previous film La Femme Infidele as well, describing it as “le chute bourgeoise de l'oeuvre”, which roughly translates as they thought his rising success was causing a drop in quality of work. Despite Cahiers negativity, Le Boucher is generally considered to be the peak of Chabrol's artistic expression.

What is Le Boucher About?

Le Boucher is set in a pretty French village where a school teacher, Helene (Stephane Audan), befriends the local butcher, Popaul (Jean Yanne). Their relationship starts out brightly, as the champagne flows at their mutual friends wedding party, but as the town falls prey to a series of brutal murders, Helene begins to suspect Popaul is not all he seems. Helene's growing fears are expertly handled by Chabrol, who focuses on the psychological terror of his leading lady (who became his wife in real life, a few years later) rather than the horror of the slayings. The film is light on plot, but heavy on atmosphere, with much of what's going on in the background assuming significance as the plot thickens. The details and the ambiance are what make Le Boucher such an accomplished piece of film-making.

Hitchcock on Le Boucher

In many ways, Le Boucher is Claude Chabrol's simplest and most beautiful film. It also has the rare honour of being one of the few films the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock is said to have wished he'd made himself . High praise indeed for his steadfast French admirer.