Claude Chabrol is known as the French Hitchcock. In Le Boucher this is probably more apparent than ever. There are many elements at use here that are similar to Hitchcock, but at the same time, Chabrol manages to make the film and style his own, transcending what Hitchcock did. It is difficult to say whether Chabrol is better than Hitchcock or not, I would say that they are both very interesting, and have their different strengths. It is a bit unfair to compare Chabrol to Hitchcock so much, because it never seems like he is plagiarising Hitchcock in any way, and his films are quite unique to him.
The setting is a small town out in the country, a fitting scene for these kinds of film, and indeed, Hitchcock used this himself on occasions. One thing I can now say, after having watched this film, is that Chabrol is a clever director. In good films, it is like having a conversation with the director, discussing, arguing, and so forth. I also felt this in Le Boucher, and my conversation with Chabrol was interesting indeed. Chabrol was good at subverting my expectations, and then making me happy afterwards with some reveal. Actually, this is a film that will make you ask questions in your head, but most importantly, it allows you to delve deeper into the characters, and analyse and question their actions and motives. The atmosphere in this film is probably the most unnerving that I have seen in a Chabrol film. While much of this is due to the great camerawork, I should also mention the absolutely fantastic and chilling score that accompanies the film. The sound design is also impeccable, creating an eerie mood throughout the film. The film also has one of the greatest reveals of a dead body, a moment that truly stands out in all of the great scenes from the film. Something else that Chabrol also does very well is changing the perspectives of the audience. We are never left alone, and the film perks at our suspicions and beliefs. This makes the film far more interesting than most other similar films, but then again, this isn’t like any murder film you’ll usually watch.
At the heart of the film, though, is the relationship developing between the two lead characters. Chabrol uses the same actors as before, but I don’t mind really, and they usually do such a good job that it doesn’t matter anyway. The crime going on in the small town is a good backdrop for the relationship, and it exposes the characters to some degree. Bergman tried something similar with using war and animal slaughter in Skammen and In Passion respectively, and for him it worked better in the later than the former. It works quite well for Chabrol here, and it is a technique that can be effective and hasn’t been utilized by filmmakers enough in modern times. The characters are deep enough to keep one interested, and even in its quiet moments, the film feels very intense, much due to the great sound design. There is always something unnerving about this film, and this is one of its greatest strengths. The plot itself isn’t that interesting, but it’s not supposed to be. Some modern day viewers, who are used to the plot being the most important thing in film, will probably be put back by this, but it is by no means unusual for European films, particularly during this era. I like it when plot becomes just a backdrop, because it is so simple to make up plot. The hard thing for filmmakers is to make their films something beyond plot, and I feel that Chabrol is quite successful in his attempt here.
An excellent film by Chabrol, it is unnerving, has great sub-text and develops its characters well throughout the film. The atmosphere and music is impeccable, and goes a long way to making the film even more interesting. The audience almost feels that it is at no time safe, and credit to Chabrol; he does a good job at achieving this. Chabrol is a very interesting director indeed.
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