Alice or The Last Escapade (1977)

Lewis Carroll's classic tale, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" gets a psychological horror/thriller/mystery makeover in Claude Chabrol's "Alice or The Last Escapade" (1977). The connection with Carroll's story is only superficial, however, including a reference to Carroll in the name of the title character. The protagonist in Chabrol's film is an adult, and the world she finds herself in is more surreal and spooky, rather than fantastical. 

It all begins with Alice (Sylvia Kristel) listening to her husband rant out his work troubles while munching on some grapes and hardly even looking at her. After he is done, Alice informs him that she couldn't stand him anymore and had decided to leave him. It appears from this little but important sequence, that perhaps, Alice's husband is only a talker and not a listener.

Alice storms out of the house that stormy night, taking along a suitcase and driving off, only to be overpowered by the unrelenting rains. The windshield suddenly breaks and she is forced to pull over at the nearest gate, which happens to be of a plush estate with a large mansion. Her host, a sweet old man, Mr. Vergennes (Charles Vanel) and his butler Colas (Jean Carmet) are most hospitable and they provide her food and shelter for the night.

Come morning, and Alice finds that her car has been fixed; there is coffee and breakfast laid out on the table, but her hosts seem to have mysteriously disappeared! She attempts to pack up and leave, but finds that she is unable to do so, as there no longer seems to be an exit to the estate! As she struggles to escape the property, she encounters some bizarre events and strange characters in the ghostly mansion. Just where exactly has Alice landed herself?

"Alice or The Last Escapade" is unlike any other Chabrol film, and the great filmmaker does a commendable job with a premise outside of his comfort zone. An unsettling, chilling atmosphere dominates every frame, even in scenes shot during the daytime, as for the most part, Alice seems to be the only one around. It's like everyone else has practically vanished from the world. 

An eerie sound design and score contribute to the slow burning tension which escalates, establishes its presence and stays afloat in an elegantly controlled form, thereby leaving the viewer in a wide-eyed state of suspense throughout the film's duration. The cinematography is exquisite with an exemplary use of lights and shadows, rendering a creepy touch to most of the sequences shot in the dimly lit mansion.

There is that familiar horror film cliché of a broken clock that stops and starts functioning at its will, and mostly in a definite time window. "We don't care too much about time around here", Colas the butler quips upon being asked about the clock. It is a rather ominous exchange, which makes one think; could Alice have crossed over to another dimension where time and space, as we know it, don't exist? In an interesting twist, the clock doesn't serve as a mere cliché, once Alice intelligently deduces its purpose!

Chabrol's usual mastery in characterizationis put to good use here in the portrayal of Alice. In a situation like this, one would expect Alice to be a hysterical and sobbing victim. Chabrol betrays viewer expectations, however, and turns predictability over its head by giving Alice an icy cool and mildly arrogant aura. She takes her predicament in her stride with an unusual élan.

Even following the initial realization that she cannot get out, Alice sheds a few tears of fear, but the feisty, headstrong woman that she is, she quickly regains composure, determined not to be licked by her captors. When each one of the weird lot she meets refuses to answer questions saying it is futile to ask, she decides to play by their rules by shutting herself off and refusing to divulge her feelings about the whole thing. The shift of power is noteworthy; the ones supposedly playing her begin to look innocent and nice, while the captive seems strangely unconcerned and grows increasingly smug, subtly taking charge.

With characters like the little boy with a bird cage and via the strange occurrence at the diner, Chabrol subtly hints at the nature of Alice's predicament and what in fact, could be happening to her. A particular episode at the gas station is rather unnerving, but also one that is there for a purpose. None of this is heavy-handed though, and melds in seamlessly with the intriguing narrative until the third act, when a particular sequence does tend to sway a bit on the expository side. The exposition itself is vague, fortunately and doesn't entirely insult the intelligence of the viewers.

While some of the special effects, thankfully used only in a couple of scenes, may have a dated feel, there is no denying that "Alice or The Last Escapade" (1977) is an overlooked, essential Chabrol classic, a genre-bending work that is perhaps, unique to his filmography, and one that needs to be recognized among his best works.

Score: 9/10

L'Enfer (1994)

"I am so glad you are jealous! It proves you care for me..", sighs a lovelorn Nelly (the vivacious and seductive Emanuelle Beart) to her husband Paul (François Cluzet) in Claude Chabrol's "L'Enfer" (1994). Little does she know at this point that she would soon have to eat her words!

Chabrol's intense psychological drama adapted from Henri-Georges Clouzot's script of his unfinished film, explores with a finesse that is rare, the unwelcome transformation of a loving husband into an insanely possessive monster, with overwhelming jealousy completely consuming his psyche and clouding his ability to reason.

The film begins with a love affair that follows into a healthy marriage rather quickly in a very buoyant manner. Paul seems to be a nice, fun-loving guy, happy with his lake side holiday resort business with a good staff and good friends around to keep the place running and lively. Nelly only adds to the liveliness with her spunky charm and smouldering hot looks, replete with that sensuous cherry-red lip-gloss pout!

Business seems to be as usual, until one of Nelly's harmless visits to the beach with some friends plants a poisonous seed in Paul's mind about her amorous involvement with Martineau (Marc Lavoine), a friend and garage owner. Paul soon begins to fill unwarranted blanks about information innocuously withheld from him, and before we know it, the ball of an unhealthy transformation has been set a-rolling. It is not too long before Paul begins to play detective and follows his wife around, thinking ugly thoughts of his wife's liaisons with not only Martineau, but practically every man around his resort; all based on surmise, of course, and no concrete evidence, gradually letting himself slip into a seemingly irreparable psychosis.

Chabrol finds there is absolutely no time to waste, and very quickly gets the happier days of the couple's lives out of the way. The first seed is sown early enough, and the taut screenplay almost instantly picks up its momentum. With each of Paul's doubts, the viewer begins to question Nelly's movements, especially since we only get glimpses of her initially. There are places she goes, and Paul is blissfully unaware, only learning about her whereabouts from someone else. Could Nelly be lying to him or withholding information from him? Chabrol keeps the ambiguity afloat and never makes it clear as to whether it is a deliberate act or just Nelly's harmless gesture of sparing her husband the tiny details.

But there is also the fact, well presented, that perhaps Paul's busy and demanding life makes him see less of her. As a result they possibly miss out on the smaller communication, a habit that perhaps persists and grows. A healthy communication is the cornerstone of mutual trust in a relationship. In an early scene, Chabrol gives a subtle hint of how this vital aspect could be lacking in case of this couple, thereby making their bond rather fragile. Paul's son takes his baby steps and he calls out to Nelly and announces joyfully that their son has learned to walk. Nelly walks in casually, smiles and replies, "I already know he is walking"! Likewise, Paul misses out on several other details, stuff that is perhaps inadvertently kept from Paul, leading to the misunderstanding.

One thing leads to another, of course and mountains are made out of mole hills. A friendly meet between Nelly and Martineau manifests as a sexual encounter in Paul's head. Could it really have happened? Or is he only letting his imagination run wild? In one particularly powerful scene of a group viewing of a home movie, this aspect is made clear. But that doesn't exonerate all those other times. Chabrol doesn't give us anything to prove that Nelly is not cheating on her husband, but we are never given evidence of the opposite either. The air of doubt is elegantly balanced, in a film that may otherwise have been a very one-dimensional story of an over-jealous, obsessive husband, although the narrative may make it seem that way.

Where Chabrol succeeds is in not making Nelly an epitome of innocence, thereby making sympathies sway either side, even during those extreme outbursts of melancholy. That lip gloss never fades, neither does that fashionably sexy dressing sense. Those mildly flirtatious and playful mannerisms never die, although the latter part is only a facet of her personality. In a twisty manner, it even becomes ambiguous as to whether Nelly is telling the truth or merely telling Paul things that he wants to hear, only to spare herself the avalanche of cross-questioning. At one point she does mention that she married him for the money. But was that statement just a product of a fatigued, exasperated mind that has had enough?

"L'Enfer" is unlike most modern Chabrol thrillers, and it is easy to see why, given its source material. And yet, Chabrol manages to deliver the goods like the pro he is. The thin line between fantasy and reality is mostly kept invisible except in some areas where it is made explicit. The obvious sequences of hallucination are expertly filmed, particularly one giving off an aura of some trippy dream of seduction with the temptress Nelly at its center and all the other men around her going all touchy-feely.

As Paul gradually loses his grip on sanity, the atmosphere of the film sees a transformation as well, as it gets much darker from its initial tone. One can see some Kubrickian symmetry and Hitchcockian claustrophobia applied rather deftly in the scenes in the resort especially during those power cuts when Paul's suspicions about Nelly go out the roof. It all comes off convincingly enough right through to its very fitting ending, thanks to the strong performances of the lead pair, although, Cluzet does tend to go over the top in places. 

Henri-Georges Clouzot had first set out to make "L'Enfer" with the bewitching Romy Schneider. That was back in 1964, but the project never took off, due to various reasons. Years after his death, his widow sold the script to Chabrol, who reworked it and filmed his own version. Whether Chabrol did justice to the original script, filmed a version better or lesser, we will never know, for we have only one finished film to judge. Suffice to say, though, that he has crafted a compelling psycho-drama indeed, and added yet another great film to his oeuvre for us cineastes to savour.

Score: 9/10

La Femme Infidèle (aka The Unfaithful Wife) (1969)

The opening scene showcases some extremely happy times in the garden of the Desvallées' plush home. The mother-in-law (Louise Rioton) of Charles Desvallées (Michel Bouquet) is visiting and they are all sharing light moments together. Charles and the others are all smiles, their rich country property brimming with an otherworldly satisfaction. Charles' mother-in-law and his beautiful wife Hélène (Stéphane Audran) discuss his weight pre and post their marriage, while their little son prances around. Only this display of cheerful bliss is ridiculously good to be true, and seems overdone with its immaculate perfection and saccharine sweetness. Perhaps it is a deliberate move on filmmaker Claude Chabrol's part to indicate that not all is as hunky dory as it seems on the surface.

Charles and Hélène have a real fine life, with all the luxuries in the world. But mere luxuries don't amount to complete happiness, as the rest of the plot of "La Femme Infidèle", this masterstroke of a film points out. A chance enquiry at a certain beauty parlour that Hélène usually visits, makes Charles aware that his wife has been lying to him about something; at least about where she goes during the day while he is at work. As it turns out and as the title of the film suggests, Hélène is having an affair with another man, unbeknownst to poor old Charles. This, of course, he finds out upon further scrutiny, and after hiring a private detective to follow her.

A disturbed but still, composed Charles decides to pay his competitor a visit. What follows later, forms the crux of this outstanding little drama penned and directed by the great Claude Chabrol. A regular Chabrol-esque plot that follows a bourgeois family, secrets, lies, deceit and even a murder as part of its proceedings proves to its audiences that despite the usual keywords, the film takes a shape that is anything but predictable.

So while you expect Charles to confront his wife upon the discovery of her fooling around with another man, such a thing never happens. He never takes it up with her, perhaps because he loves her way too much, or because he cares for their son, or because he feels he is better off not creating a scene about it. Chabrol's steady grip on his narrative only proves his prowess as a master storyteller, as the game-changing event in the film, the face to face meet of Charles and his wife's lover takes a rather intriguing turn.

This is the most crucial part of the film and it accentuates the nature of Charles as a person. It is very easy to empathize with this poor bloke who helplessly listens to the sordid tale of his wife's actions. Bouquet's performance here is a class act that knocks the ball right out of the park. He strikes a rather unusual conversation with his wife's lover, making him quite comfortable with their dialog. There are multiple emotions visible on Charles' visage; sadness, anger, shame, humiliation, embarrassment and loneliness. Bouquet pulls it all off so well, one can't help but stand up and applaud the amazing conviction he puts in into this performance. Your heart goes out to the overwrought Charles, as his voice quivers and softens in utter disappointment over his dark discovery.

Hélène's lover is Victor, played by Maurice Ronet, another fine actor, who unfortunately doesn't get much scenery to chew on, but pulls off his part remarkably well. The sense of comfort he exhibits in conversing with the husband of his lover and an awkwardness mixed with it is palpable, even as he offers his guest another drink of whiskey! Victor's charming, innocent face and gentlemanly behaviour and body language in fact makes the viewer take a liking for him rather than hate him for stealing another person's wife. His attitude seems to be somewhat nonchalant as well.

The final third of the film displays Chabrol's true writing genius. Most of what occurs in the middle portion of the film is left unsaid. There are certain consequences of these events and they affect the couple in different ways. Only neither party is vocal about their feelings or thoughts and such a scenario is equally frustrating and delightfully realistic for the viewing audience. Despite a lack of verbal communication or confrontation, a lot ends up being conveyed anyway! As with most Chabrol dramas, there is an inherent moral complexity associated with "La Femme Infidèle". It is really difficult to take sides here and on the flip side, you find yourself empathizing with what's universally accepted as morally wrong!

It is Chabrol's command on the script that ensures that a tragedy of such an epic proportion, afflicting a happy family, keeps itself from turning into a weepy soap opera and remains firmly grounded. The subtlety and the silence triumphs, and any chance of the account of the tough times in the life of the Desvallées' succumbing to melodramatic conflicts and heightened moments, is quite gracefully avoided. The second half the film is overflowing with suspense and intrigue. Every minute is tense, and every move of each character demands the viewer's full attention. It is honestly, very difficult to look away as one waits with bated breath throughout. It is the build-up that is more nail-biting than the anticipation of the outcome!

"La Femme Infidèle" was remade by Adrian Lyne in the 2002 American film "Unfaithful" starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere which was a decent film at best. Later, the Lyne film was unofficially and shamelessly ripped off and remade into at least three, very tacky, Indian B-films. Nevertheless, the original source film, not surprisingly towers as a masterwork and proves itself to be one of the greatest French thrillers out there.

Score: 9/10