La Bête Humaine (1938)
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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, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 96 mins
Complete Cast:
- Jean Gabin - Jacques Lantier
- Julien Carette - Pecqueux
- Jean Renoir - Cabuche, the Poacher
- Gerard Landry - Dauvergne's Son
- Colette Regis - Victoire
- Jacques Brunius - Farm Worker
- Léon Larive - Grand-Morin's servant
- Marcel Pérès - Lampmaker
- 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
- Charlotte Clasis - Aunt Phasie
- Georges Spanelly - Grand-Morin's Secretary
- Georges Péclet - Railway Worker
- Guy Decomble - Garde-barriere
- Claire Gérard - Traveler
- Director(s):
- Jean Renoir
- Writer(s):
- Jean Renoir
- Producer(s):
- Raymond Hakim, Robert Hakim
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