{"id":98392,"date":"2024-07-06T13:19:49","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T20:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=98392"},"modified":"2024-07-08T19:11:40","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T02:11:40","slug":"this-man-must-die-1969","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=98392","title":{"rendered":"This Man Must Die (1969)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Chance is wonderful &#8212; and it exists. It&#8217;s the only thing that exists.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Poster-196x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-98393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Poster-196x300.png 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Poster-177x270.png 177w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Poster.png 608w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a grieving father (Michel Duchaussoy) vows to hunt down and kill the man who murdered his son (St\u00e9phane Di Napoli) in a hit-and-run accident, he finds himself connecting with an actress (Caroline Cellier) whose brutal brother-in-law (Jean Yanne) is a prime suspect.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Amateur Sleuths<\/li>\n<li>Claude Chabrol<\/li>\n<li>French Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Revenge<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nBased on a 1938 novel by Cecil Day-Lewis (writing as Nicholas Blake) entitled <em>The Beast Must Die<\/em>, this Claude Chabrol psychological thriller gives off definite Hitchcock vibes &#8212; which makes sense given that Chabrol, alongside Eric Rohmer, interviewed Hitchcock and co-authored a book about him in 1957. (With that said, Chabrol stated that three other directors &#8212; F.W. Murnau, Ernst Lubitsch, and Fritz Lang &#8212; influenced him even more.) At any rate, having long ago finished reviewing all of Hitchcock&#8217;s actual titles in <em>GFTFF<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/nofilmschool.com\/2017\/03\/watch-breaking-down-what-it-means-be-hitchcockian\">I decided it was time to revisit <\/a>what one means, exactly, when using the term &#8220;Hitchcockian.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>1. First, and most importantly, &#8220;Hitchcock uses film as a place for audiences to project their anxieties.&#8221; Does Chabrol do that in this film? Absolutely. The film opens with a devastating attack on the core of one&#8217;s existence (losing a child): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child-1024x544.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"340\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child-508x270.png 508w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Must-Die-Dead-Child.png 1294w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Grieving-Parent.png 1289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and absolutely everything that comes afterwards is laser-focused on attempting to rectify this loss, in some way. <\/p>\n<p>2. &#8220;Hitchcock&#8217;s films were a way for him to deal with his own worst fears.&#8221; This I can&#8217;t speak to, since I don&#8217;t know enough about Chabrol&#8217;s motives in deciding to make this particular film&#8230; <\/p>\n<p>3. &#8220;Hitchcock knows you&#8217;re watching.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film-1024x564.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"353\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film-1024x564.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film-768x423.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film-491x270.png 491w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Watching-Film.png 1272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; As does Chabrol. Voyeurism plays a clear role in this film, given that Duchaussoy fakes his identity and &#8220;falsely&#8221; pursues Cellier: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance-1024x553.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance-1024x553.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance-500x270.png 500w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Romance.png 1286w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; in order to enact an elaborate, double-twisty plot of worming his way into her family (and all while we&#8217;re well aware that he may not even have the &#8220;right&#8221; culprit). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group-1024x556.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group-1024x556.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group-497x270.png 497w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Group.png 1292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>4. &#8220;Hitchcock mastered every tool at his disposal.&#8221; Chabrol did as well, to the extent that one simply becomes absorbed in his best films (and his longtime collaborations with composer Pierre Jansen and editor Jacques Gaillard resonate here, too). <\/p>\n<p>As in Hitchcock&#8217;s best films, good use is made of diverse locations, ranging from the opening sequence at a seaside town, to Duchaussoy&#8217;s search for a garage where someone may have thrown away a damaged car part, to the bar where he picks up Cellier, to Yanne&#8217;s showy mansion: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room-1024x552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"345\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room-1024x552.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room-501x270.png 501w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Room.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; to a literal cliffhanger: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger-1024x544.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"340\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger-508x270.png 508w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Cliffhanger.png 1291w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and a tense scene out on a boat. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat-1024x546.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat-1024x546.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat-506x270.png 506w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Boat.png 1286w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This one remains worth a look.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jean Rabier&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing-1024x554.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing-1024x554.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing-768x415.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing-499x270.png 499w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Dancing.png 1302w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying-1024x545.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-98406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying-1024x545.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying-768x409.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying-507x270.png 507w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/This-Man-Flowers-Crying.png 1296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a fine thriller by Chabrol. Listed as a film with Historical Relevance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0064861\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/92983\/this-man-must-die#articles-reviews?articleId=31862\">TCM Chabrol Overview (scroll down)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Chance is wonderful &#8212; and it exists. It&#8217;s the only thing that exists.&#8221; Synopsis: When a grieving father (Michel Duchaussoy) vows to hunt down and kill the man who murdered his son (St\u00e9phane Di Napoli) in a hit-and-run accident, he finds himself connecting with an actress (Caroline Cellier) whose brutal brother-in-law (Jean Yanne) is a prime suspect. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Amateur Sleuths Claude Chabrol French Films Mistaken or Hidden Identities Revenge Review: Based on a 1938 novel by&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=98392\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98392"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98586,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98392\/revisions\/98586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}