La Bête Humaine

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A film by Jean Renoir Based on a story by the great French writer Émile Zola, Jean Renoir's classic La Bête Humaine is the story of a murderous love triangle set on the Paris-Le Havre mainline. When station master Roubaud discovers his bride Séverine has been seduced by her godfather, he determines to murder him aboard the train. Strong-arming Séverine to help him, the pair are witnessed in this despicable act by the train's engineer Lantier, played by the illustrious Jean Gabin. Desperate to flee her husband, Séverine turns to Lantier, who is himself gripped by congenital fits of rage. With the roaring steam engines functioning as metaphors for the characters' unstoppable desires, can anyone control "the human beast"? DVD Special Features Insert essay by film historian and screenwriter James Leahy

Release Date: 18/11/2009
Languages: French
Genre: Classic, Drama
Director: Jean Renoir
Runtime: 100.0 mins
Format: DVD, Region 4 (PAL)
Catalogue: MSC042

“Testament to a lost art… central performances in this tragic love triangle are brilliant and utterly convincing… Renoir's precursor to film noir is a highly atmospheric and resonant tale of crime and desire.” CHANNEL 4 FILM

“French production at its best.” VARIETY

“Macabre, grim and oddly-fascinating… not a pretty tale certainly, but a powerful one with memorable performances.” THE NEW YORK TIMES

“There is much of Renoir here, most beautifully in the opening scene.” CHICAGO READER

“[Filled with] the overwhelming tenderness and brutality of Renoir's vision.” TIME OUT