Based on documents compiled by leading French philosopher Michel Foucault, this unique and original film charts the gruesome events which took place in a Normandy village in 1835, when a young man, Pierre Rivière, murdered his mother, sister and brother before fleeing to the countryside. With a cast made up of real-life villagers from the area where the events took place, the detailed re-enactments and careful attention to the gestures of their ancestors serve to create an intense and sometimes disturbing atmosphere of hyper-realism. Details of the crime and of the trial that followed are told from varied perspectives, including the written confession of Pierre himself, and form a rich and complex narrative that interrogates the concepts of “truth” and “history”.
Released: Oct 27, 1976
Runtime: 130 minutes
Stars: Claude Hébert, Jacqueline Milliere, Joseph Leportier, Annick Gehan, François Regnault
Crew: René Allio (Director), Pierre Gamet (Sound), Bernard Bouix (Unit Manager), Marie-Hélène Quinton (Script Supervisor), Guy Canu (Key Grip), Sylvie Blanc (Editor)