"Excellent"
Innocents with Dirty Hands Review
By Christopher Null
Claude Chabrol's meditation on infidelity and murder is creepy and cold, wholly owned by Romy Schneider as its near alien starlet. Dubbed in English, the film has Schneider's gorgeous wife in a loveless marriage to a husky American (Rod Steiger), who is not only free of emotion but impotent as well. A chance encounter draws her into a love affair with a younger man (François Maistre), and before 20 minutes of screen time are up, Schneider has coldly bludgeoned hubby to death while he sleeps. Or has she? I'm reminded of Diabolique, but from the guy's point of view. Sort of. The scenes with the police investigation are on the lame side, but the core of the film -- around Schneider's guilt and fear of the unknown future -- is an excellent freak-out.
Aka Les Innocents aux mains sales.
Facts and Figures
Year: 1975
Reviews
Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5
Cast & Crew
Director: Claude Chabrol
Producer: André Génovès
Screenwriter: Claude Chabrol
Starring: Romy Schneider as Julie Wormser, Rod Steiger as Louis Wormser, Paolo Giusti as Jeff Marle, Jean Rochefort as Maitre Albert Legal, François Maistre as Commissaire Lamy, François Perrot as Georges Thorent, Hans Christian Blech as Judge, Pierre Santini as Commssaire Villon, Henri Attal as Polizist, Serge Bento as Bankdirektor, Jean Cherlian as Polizist, Dominique Zardi as Polizist
Also starring: Claude Chabrol
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