La Bête Humaine

Drama | French with English subtitles | 100 minutes

Info

Jacques Lantier is a railroad engineer who finds his work helps distract him from his recurring headaches, seizures, and violent rages. Traveling on Lantier’s train heading to Le Havre from Paris, is Grandmorin, a man having an affair with Séverine, stationmaster Roubaud’s wife. Entering his compartment, Roubaud and Séverine kill Grandmorin. Lantier notices the two in the train corridor at the time of the crime but does not reveal this to the police. Séverine is grateful for Lantier’s cover-up. She fears Roubaud, who has lapsed into depression after the murder, will kill her next. Séverine reveals this fear to Lantier and urges him to kill Roubaud before he kills her. But Lantier is not a murderer. This triggers a seizure that ends in tragedy for Lantier.

Cast

Jean Gabin (Jacques Lantier) / Simone Simon (Séverine Roubaud) / Fernand Ledoux (Roubaud) / Jacques Berlioz (Grandmorin)

Why Stream This Film?

Film historians cited La Bête Humane (The Human Beast) as the one that most influenced the start of American Film-Noir.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 93%

Accolades

75th Venice Film Festival, Winner, Golden Lion
Ten Academy Award Nominations. Winner: Best Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Best Cinematographer (Alfonso Cuarón)
Festivals: Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York
Best Film of 2018: Time Magazine and The New York Film Critics Circle

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