Cinema
Eyes Without a Face
Les Yeux sans visage
Georges Franju · 1960
Synopsis
Near Paris, a woman throws a body into a river. Doctor Génessier, a renowned surgeon, recognises in it his daughter Christiane, who disappeared after a car accident that had disfigured her and for which he was responsible. In reality, Christiane lives hidden in the house next to her father's clinic, guarded by dogs, her face covered by a mask that shows only her eyes. Helped by Louise, a former patient, Génessier abducts young women to remove the skin of their faces and graft it onto his daughter's.
Context
The film is based on a novel by Jean Redon published in 1959 by Fleuve noir, in a popular series. The screenplay was reworked by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, with Claude Sautet and Redon himself. Pierre Brasseur plays the surgeon, Alida Valli plays Louise and Édith Scob plays Christiane. Completed in 1959, the film was released in Paris on 2 March 1960. It has been restored in 4K by Criterion, which includes with it Franju's documentary on the slaughterhouses.
Who it is for
Ninety minutes; an operation sequence shown without flinching, in a film of calm, icy tone.
Prizes and reception
Received with reservations by French critics on its release, it is now counted among the films that left their mark on horror cinema.
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