I was very surprised upon reading some of the comments for this film after having seen it - not only is this not a lesser Chabrol movie or a non-entertaining one, for my money its Chabrol at his subtle and intriguing best, and no doubt up there with the likes of The Unfaithful Wife and Le Boucher! The plot is not particularly original, but it's not too important as it's Chabrol's style and attention to detail that really makes the film what it is anyway. The plot seems to take a lot of influence from the classic 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' and focuses on murder due to an illicit love affair. Lucienne Delamare is not so happily married to town major Paul Delamare and, unbeknown to her husband, is currently engaged in an affair with her husband's assistant Pierre Maury. The two are able to spend time together because Paul is often away on business. Pierre's wife Clotilde is weak and sick and when she dies suddenly, the town suspect suicide; but the truth is more sinister, as revealed by Pierre's confession to Lucienne...
The film is kept interesting as Chabrol always focuses on the important elements and ensures that the chemistry between the leads is always engaging. The acting is once again superb with Chabrol's beautiful wife (at the time) Stéphane Audran being suitably brooding and mysterious in the lead role and receiving excellent support from Michel Piccoli and Claude Piéplu. The village in which the film takes place is also well thought out and Chabrol manages to create a foreboding atmosphere stemming from that. As usual with Chabrol films, this one is beautifully shot and realised and it's clear that the director put a lot of care and attention into the film. As usual, the suspense is generated through intrigue and the way that the characters are developed rather than through scenes of tension, though there are some brilliant sequences in the film - a pivotal scene towards the end involving a car accident being particularly noteworthy. I wouldn't recommend this film as a starting point for someone who has not previously seen a Claude Chabrol film, but I'd be surprised if fans of his don't enjoy it. Highly recommended!
