Le cri du hibou [The Cry of the Owl] **** (1987, Christophe Malavoy, Mathilda May, Virginie Thévenet, Jean-Pierre Kalfon) – Classic Movie Review 12,231

Director Claude Chabrol’s suspenseful 1987 French-Italian psychological crime thriller film Le cri du hibou [The Cry of the Owl] is adapted from the 1962 novel The Cry of the Owl by Patricia Highsmith, and stars Christophe Malavoy, Mathilda May and Virginie Thévenet. Chabrol and Odile Barski adapt the novel. The screenplay, the acting of an ideal cast, Matthieu Chabrol’s score and Jean Rabier’s camerawork are all first rate.

Claude Chabrol’s version of the Patricia Highsmith book is the usual civilised pleasure from him. It is properly dour, dark and brooding in the Highsmith tradition, with an ironic sense of black humour, faithful to the spirit as well as the plot of the author.

Christophe Malavoy plays unbalanced divorced Paris illustrator, architect and artist Robert, who leaves his Parisian bitter ex-wife Véronique (Virginie Thévenet) and moves to Vichy, in central France, where the Dior-dressed stalker starts to observe the beautiful but unbalanced young Juliette (Mathilda May), seemingly happy at her house. One night he introduces himself to her, she thinks that he is a prowler and confronts him, but invites him inside.

Quickly in love with the stranger, she dumps her fiancé Patrick (Jacques Penot) and pursues Robert, who is not happy with her advances. Yes, she starts stalking him! Patrick and Véronique are not happy either, and they join up to take revenge. Patrick is so jealous that he attacks Robert in a deserted area in the woods but Robert fights back and knocks Patrick unconscious, leaving him next to a nearby river. When Patrick then goes missing, Robert is the prime suspect, and Véronique helps Patrick hide from the police so they think Robert killed him.

It starts off being a bit plain and grainy in an unattractive late Eighties way, and Matthieu Chabrol’s score doesn’t not seem to be working out, but soon Claude Chabrol is managing to put style into his visuals, and eventually some urgency into his story telling, and the complex, devious plot kicks in, with its rich abundance of characters, all of them revolting in best Highsmith fashion. The key moment is when Robert is filmed through flames in his introduction Véronique. Is it just a flashy idea, or is it meaningful? It doesn’t matter. It’s satisfying. Chabrol then starts a whole series of busy camera movements in Moviecam, tracking along, in, out, back and forwards. Maybe you shouldn’t be noticing them, but it sure helps to keep the film lively. Matthieu Chabrol’s score eventually kicks in, with its weird atmosphere, helping to keep the audience both on their toes and off balance.

There’s no doubt that this is a very odd piece, but that is its charm and allure. It stokes up to some crazy violence and a final mini bloodbath. Somehow Chabrol keeps control of it all. It is ideal material for him. Nobody need worry about staying awake during Le cri du hibou. Chabrol’s film is an alarm call, a cry for help in the night.

Christophe Malavoy is excellent in a very tricky star role as the contradictory, frankly infuriating protagonist Robert. The character is a close relative of Walter Stackhouse in The Blunderer (filmed as A Kind of Murder), weird and therefore seen as guilty of murder, though actually innocent, but guilty anyway in some way and of something. Mathilda May is good as the even more wayward and annoying Juliette and won the César Award for Most Promising Actress, and Jean-Pierre Kalfon is good too as the creepily dogged police commissioner (le commissaire) and was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also notable are Agnès Denèfle as Suzie, Patrice Kerbrat as Marcello, Victor Garrivier as the doctor and Jean-Claude Lecas as Jacques.

The cast are Christophe Malavoy as Robert, Mathilda May as Juliette, Jacques Penot as Patrick, Jean-Pierre Kalfon as police commissioner, Virginie Thévenet as Véronique, Patrice Kerbrat as Marcello, Jean-Claude Lecas as Jacques, Agnès Denèfle as Suzie, Victor Garrivier as Doctor, Jacques Brunet as Father, Charles Millot as Director, Yvette Petit as Neighbour, Dominique Zardi as Neighbour, Henri Attal as Cop, Albert Dray as Cop, Nadine Hoffmann as Josette, Gérard Croce as Cop, Isabelle Charraix as Mme Tessier, Laurent Picaudon as Boy, Christian Bouvier as Maître d’hôtel, and Gilles Dreu as M Tessier.

It is remade by Jamie Thraves as the 2009 film The Cry of the Owl, starring Julia Stiles and Paddy Considine.

Vichy is a spa and resort town and in World War Two was the capital of Vichy France from 1940 to 1942. Vichy was the de facto capital of the French State for more than four years, though Paris was still the official capital.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,231

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