Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13542 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-07-07
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Special Features
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
French
Region 2
Selected Scene Commentary By Claude Chabrol
Interview With Claude Chabrol
Presentation Of The Film
English

Synopsis
Claude Chabrol's L'ENFER is the story of a good marriage that turns sour when obsessive jealousy takes hold of a loving husband, turning him into a violent, paranoid tyrant. In this tense and riveting drama, originally written by master French director Henri-Georges Clouzot (LES DIABOLIQUES), Paul (Francois Cluzet), the hardworking owner of a beautiful hotel, begins to hear voices in his head convincing him that his wife Nelly (Emmanuelle Beart) is being unfaithful. The glorious romance and bliss of their early days of marriage is swiftly replaced by Paul's incoherent and obsessive fantasies about Nelly's infidelity. As the pace and severity of Paul's delusions increase, so does the tension and drama of the film, as tragedy looms in the distance. The hotel, once the spot of married bliss and harmony, quickly becomes Nelly's prison, as Paul accuses Nelly's friends of encouraging her supposed flings and forbids her to see them. With his hysterical ravings, he prevents Nelly from leaving the premises. Chabrol's use of Paul's interior monologues and delusionary projections creates a terrifying gap between fantasy and reality, and leaves the fate of the desperate and troubled lovers in question, even at the end of the film.

Customer Reviews

Jealousy as you have never seen it before!
Based on a script by Clouzot, the aim of this movie is to describe the patholgy and psychology of man, Francois, who succumb slowly under the weight of jealousy. This movie is amazing, and describe the psychological aspect of this "disease" in a very defined way. Clouzot has actually done a long study of the phenomenon of jealousy, it is therefore highly detailed and enlighted by Chabrol art to slow down the pace of the movie up to the point that, just like Francois, time seems to be infinite. It's a mental torture for Francois, he is prisoner of his thoughts and his mind killing the reality slowly. This movie is a must see!!!!

L'Enfer
It is difficult to not become completely engulfed in mental frenzy by this film. Basically, it is about a husband who becomes obsessed with the notion that his wife is having an affair with everybody. He follows her wherever she goes and accuses her of infidelity. He is so consumed by this belief (and we see what he sees too) that he eventually locks his wife away. By this stage he is hearing conversations in his head and had gone totally mad. Very convincing performances which leave you feeling incredulous as to this man's mental state.

A Hitchcockesque French thriller
This film has all the suspense of a Hitchcock film, it is dark, twisting its way through the misplaced jealousy of a husband, as he slowly decends into madness. Beart role as the wife is very well excecuted, as she gives off a fine performance. A film definately worth watching again and again.