Cinema
Le Boucher
Claude Chabrol · 1970
Synopsis
In a small town in the Périgord, at a wedding meal, Hélène, the young headmistress of the school, meets Popaul, the village butcher, a veteran of the wars in Indochina and Algeria. They gladly see each other again and become friends, going no further; he gives her small presents. But a young girl from a neighbouring town is found stabbed to death, then other murders follow, and unease spreads through the village.
Context
Chabrol wrote the screenplay alone and shot the film in the Périgord, at Trémolat, as well as in the caves of Cougnac. Stéphane Audran plays Hélène and Jean Yanne plays Popaul. The film begins with a village wedding, where the two characters meet. Released on 27 February 1970, it was re-released in cinemas in France in July 2025. First distributed in English under the title The Butcher, it kept its French title on Arrow's British DVD.
Who it is for
An hour and a half; a village drama of muted tension, more attentive to the characters than to the investigation.
Prizes and reception
Reissued on Blu-ray in 2025 by Tamasa, in a box set devoted to Chabrol's films of the late sixties.
Sources for this page 5
The pages consulted to check this page.