Movie Review : L'Enfer
Hell or Torment
What is the meaning of
jealous madness? Can a man be driven
insane by his jealousy? The film, L'Enfer examines this sickness in
detail. In so doing, it also peers into
the mind of a man descending into psychotic paranoia.
Directed by Claude Chabrol
in 1993, this thriller is a psychological study of a man in conflict with
himself. It stars Emmanuelle Béart as Neilly, a beautiful
newlywed wife of Paul, Francois Cluzet, the upwardly mobile owner of a hotel resort. Both of these actors are excellently
casted. Béart is notably good as the
misunderstood spouse. Cluzet’s raging
temper made me remember painful episodes from my own relationships, where
jealousy was at the bottom of it all.
Thankfully, I’ve grown older and wiser these days.
The story opens with a
happy couple, Paul and Neilly, newlyweds that have purchased a vacation resort
in the French countryside. Paul is
ambitious and his wife is stunningly beautiful and devoted to him. To add to the idyll, they are graced with a
son in the opening sequences. The son
plays a minor role, as a counterpoint to Paul's gathering sexual paranoia. He represents innocence pitted against naked
cynicism. All seems well for the
lovers. They have a lucrative business,
friends in their employ, and a promising future. From here, the film traces Paul's descent into a jealous, psychotic
suspicion that his wife is unfaithful to him.
However, Chabrol does not explain the reasons behind this
aberrant behavior. It is this lack of
explanation that actually increases the introspective power of the film.
Chabrol develops the plot
with a precise rationality .
At first, Paul doubts his wife is having an affair. Soon his doubt turns to suspicion.
And his suspicions seem to be very well founded, a viewer can
actually imagine that he might, in fact be right about his wife's
machinations. She lies about some minor
matters, as his inquiries become more insistent, and probing. Anybody that has ever been in an adulterous affair will
recognize the elements of deception: lying about when and
where you were; making excuses to get away from your spouse and
unknown people visiting you. But what is worst, the suspect party expresses irritation when questioning becomes more incisive. This is what Neilly does. She reacts to Paul’s
continual prying into her personal life with increasing resistance. But, isn't this indicative that she’s having an
affair? Initially, a viewer can’t
ascertain, who is right. This
shadowy implication gives L'Enfer a tense edge in its early stages. This narrow line between pretension and reality is played out with
well-scripted dialogue. It is
reminiscent of one of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces: Vertigo. Paul becomes voyeuristic as he tries to
discover his wife’s whereabouts and intentions, much as Jimmy Stewart became
obsessed with Raymond Burr’s actions in Vertigo. Paul, however also
has serious mental problems. We definitely begin to see; Paul is a sick man and not just a
jealous husband. This movie is not just
about a jealous husband and recalcitrant wife, but is a look at a
schizophrenic man and his struggle with insanity. To see this notice this: it would have worked just as easily if Neilly had been his sister, of whom he was insanely protective, and sought to prevent her from of having sex with men that he disapproved.
In this case the theme would have been repressed incest (a theme many French directors have expressed), but the study would still have been about schizophrenia.
I could identify with
Paul's mistrust at the outset quite easily.
When Paul grilled Neilly about her visit to her mother's place, I could
actually see his side so to speak.
The personal identification was quickly dispensed, when Paul's
suspicions turned swiftly into delusions.
The use of voice-overs with alteration of voice timber to make it sound
fanatic, gave the effect of a schizoid personality emerging in the character.
As the film draws in the
viewer, you can’t stop feeling how out of touch Paul is with reality. His
descent into madness becomes clearer as the final sequences are played out. It gives the film a sense of a grotesque sculpture being revealed layer by layer. With each layer ripped away, Paul becomes more and more psychotic and dangerous. Its tragic
conclusion is telegraphed for sure, but the shock of his action is not diminished. You want to tell Paul, to wake up, to stop
suspecting his wife, to stop suspecting those close friends and anyone else he
encounters. You sit there helpless to
correct a man in the throes of mental collapse and wonder if you could ever
behave like this.
Yes, there are subtle
undercurrents in this film. Sexual
inadequacy, aggression, and mistrust are few understated themes, and the
possessive nature of sexuality between men and women, is another. L’Enfer hints at this tension. Chabrol also focuses on the innocence of a woman, abused by a domineering man through these characters, and that unsettled me. After all, there are many female ‘Pauls’ in
domesticity, and just as dangerous, if not more. They don't batter and maim their partners, but in many cases, can with stealth and deceit, kill just as easily.
This tragedy is modern in
style but timeless in nature. It is
also, food for thought to a married couple, anywhere. Take care young lovers, lest you suffer the
depths of L’Enfer.
Review by Ken Wais on 5/10/99
Another spellbinding French film, but with deep mathematical implications is Tzameti 13.