Kauffmann was a distinguished critic and one I read avidly over many years. He loved this film. Out of respect for him I was curious to see it and now, I'm sorry to say, have and feel disappointed.
For one, very disappointed in Jean Rabier's flat colours - too pale orange and boring browns. The film looks like a mediocre Hollywood musical.
Which is doubly sad because the costumes are spot on. One would think that with Claude Chabrol at the helm, the Belle Epoque would have been conveyed so well.
Charles Denner is a bit stiff, mannequin-like in the lead role but still impressive due to his intensity and voice. His voice, like so many first-rate French actors, is his best instrument - deep, rich, wonderful to hear. Less stiffness in body movements would have rounded out a first-class performance.
The women are wonderful - Danielle Darreaux, Michele Morgan, Catherine Rouvel, etc. Luminous and moving, even under the flat colours.
There are occasional Chabrol pleasures to be had now and then - the opening shot of Denner's head at the family dinner table followed by the WW1 newsreel, his time in bed with his lover and his walks with the other women were impressive and promised much but alas, the work felt repetitive, even predictable and never did come together for me. It felt more like a teasing theatrical matinee play than a gripping film about a notorious serial killer, caught between the beauties and horrors of his age.
