Aside from showcasing the latest cinema from around the world, MIFF also regularly shows a number of older films too, either as part of one of their sidebars, director retrospectives or due to a new restoration of the film just being made available. Claude Chabrol's 1969 classic, “The Unfaithful Wife” (La Femme Infidele), was part of MIFF's “Critical Condition” sidebar with this year's edition being dedicated to the art of performance. This sidebar sees a critic from around the world introduce a classic film, which is then discussed by a panel after the film is finished, and “The Unfaithful Wife” was chosen as one of the films this year due to it's connection to Andrei Zvyagintsev's “Minotaur” (2026), which is a reinterpretation of the Chabrol film, and which is also playing at MIFF this year. Whatever the reason for its inclusion, I was not missing a chance to see a Chabrol film on the big screen, which after thinking about it, may in fact be a first for me.
When it comes to the French New Wave directors, I often cite Francois Truffaut and Claude Chabrol as my favourites, but the truth of the matter is that I have barely scratched the surface of Chabrol's filmography. Unlike some of the New Wave directors, Chabrol never took himself or the films he made too seriously. He loved making films, and he made a lot of them, and he was not ashamed to make a film just to pay the bills. Throughout his career he made over fifty films, (and by his own account not all of them great), and of those fifty plus, I have seen around twenty four of them. Not bad, but there is a whole lot more to see, which is also quite exciting as there is so much greatness to still find within them. “The Unfaithful Wife” is regarded as one of Chabrol's very best films, and I would have to wholeheartedly agree on that sentiment. It is the second film of what is known as Chabrol's Golden Period which began in 1968 with “Les Biches” and ended with “Just Before Nightfall” in 1971; a period of three years that saw the director churn out six classic thrillers all considered amongst his best.
Obviously I had seen “The Unfaithful Wife” before, but it was such a treat to see this brilliant film finally on the big screen. It is such a simple film, with a very basic premise, but it has been so stylishly executed that you cannot help but be impressed by it. The thing that I really noticed more this time around was just how incredible Pierre Jansen's music for the film is, and how it does an amazing job of highlighting the character's (mostly Charles') hidden emotions. I particularly love the early scenes in the film where Charles is only suspicious of his wife, but without concrete proof, and the music gives a nervous energy to the whole film. I was also greatly impressed by the camera work in the film, which on home video, I found rather flat. The big screen experience opened my eyes to just how well done it is, with Chabrol's use of camera movement and point of view shots being so much better than I had remembered. Jean Rabier's cinematography has a really glossy look to it all that I loved, and you cannot help but notice the shine off of the expensive surfaces of the married couples belongings like Helene's earrings.
Claude Chabrol is often called the French Hitchcock, but this is something that I have never really agreed with (surely that is Henri-Georges Clouzot?), as they have completely different styles despite most of their films dealing with crime, and both having a wicked (and dark) sense of humour. That said, “The Unfaithful Wife” has a number of extended sequences within it that are filled to the brim with suspense. It is true though that Chabrol was a huge fan of Hitchcock himself, and the murder scene and following clean up in this film is almost an homage to a very famous scene from “Psycho” (1960). The thing that I love so much about the murder scene is that it comes out of nowhere. One second two men are having a casual conversation, the next second, one of them is dead, with the other forced to clean up after his impulsive decision. As you might be able to tell, this is the key scene of the entire film, but there is a little moment during this scene that I also absolutely loved in its bourgeois pettiness. Charles decides to go and confront Victor, Helene's lover, at his small Parisian apartment under the guise that he is okay with the affair, as he and his wife have an open relationship. However, when Victor has the gall to tell Charles that his wife actually hates her country home, and suggests that they should move to Paris, Charles is so incensed that he immediately goes on the attack asking Victor how many rooms he has in his apartment, all in an attempt to make his competitor feel small. It is such a tiny, tiny moment in the film, but deliciously dark and petty.
The whole reason for the inclusion of “The Unfaithful Wife” at MIFF this year was due to “the art of performance” so I guess I really need to talk about the actors now. Stephane Audran, who incidentally was Claude Chabrol's wife at this time, can often come across as a very cold actress onscreen, but I thought during the first half of this film that she displayed a loving and warm presence within the film. She comes across as a respectful wife and caring mother to her son. During the second half of the film, when her life begins to spiral downward, the trademark coldness does materialise but works perfectly for this part of the film. Audran also has a brilliant moment towards the end of the film when she finally works everything out, and gives a kind of half smile, that I thought was so impressive. Again, it is a tiny moment, but expressed so much in that one little gesture. Michel Bouquet, playing Charles, does an excellent job of carrying the film and going through a whole range of emotions throughout it's duration. He starts as a husband and father who assumes he has everything in life and as happy as can be, before suspicion, jealousy and paranoia soon ruptures the tranquillity of everything he holds dear.
Overall, it was an absolute pleasure to revisit Claude Chabrol's 1969 classic “The Unfaithful Wife” on the big screen. It is a masterclass in suspense and truly deserves the high reputation that it has achieved. While the film moves slowly, it also moves precisely and is never boring. After being impressed all over again by “The Unfaithful Wife”, I now look forward to seeing Andrei Zvyagintsev's reinterpretation, “Minotaur”, and seeing what he does to make this classic story his own.
4 Stars.
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