La Bête Humaine (1938)
- Starring:
- Jean Gabin, Simone Simon, (more)
- Director(s):
- Jean Renoir
- Format(s):
- DVD
View All Versions to rent and buy
Synopsis of La Bête Humaine
Based on a novel by Emile Zola, La Bete Humaine weaves a mesmerizing tale of a tragic triangle. Train engineer Jean Gabin lusts after Simone Simon, the wife of his co-worker Fernand Ledoux. When Ledoux is in danger of losing his job, Simon offers herself to her husband's boss. In jealous pique, Ledoux kills the man. Gabin is witness to this, so Simon promises to reward him sexually if he'll keep quiet. As this romance intensifies, Simon tries to finagle Gabin into killing Ledoux. Sick of the whole sordid affair, Gabin murders Simon and then kills himself. When Fritz Lang remade La Bete Humaine as Human Desire in 1953, he carefully copied several of the best visual selections made by Jean Renoir in the original film; what he was not permitted to copy was the story itself, which had to be heavily laundered to accommodate Hollywood's censorship limitations. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 96 mins
Complete Cast of La Bête Humaine
- Jean Gabin - Jacques Lantier
- Julien Carette - Pecqueux
- Jean Renoir - Cabuche, the Poacher
- Gerard Landry - Dauvergne's Son
- Colette Regis - Victoire
- Léon Larive - Grand-Morin's servant
- Georges Spanelly - Grand-Morin's Secretary
- Jacques Brunius - Farm Worker
- Tony Corteggiani - Section's Chief
- Emile Genevois - Farm Worker
- Simone Simon - Séverine
- Fernand Ledoux - Robaud, Séverine's Husband
- Blanchette Brunoy - Flore
- Jenny Hélia - Philomene
- Jacques Berlioz - Grand-Morin
- Marcel Pérès - Lampmaker
- Georges Péclet - Railway Worker
- Charlotte Clasis - Aunt Phasie
- Guy Decomble - Garde-barriere
- Claire Gérard - Traveler
- Director(s):
- Jean Renoir
- Writer(s):
- Jean Renoir
- Producer(s):
- Raymond Hakim, Robert Hakim
- Looking for special editions of La Bête Humaine?
- See All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
