La Bête Humaine (1938)

7.5Not Rated100 minDirector: Jean Renoir

1938 film

La Bête Humaine (English: The Human Beast and Judas Was a Woman) is a 1938 French crime drama film directed by Jean Renoir, with cinematography by Curt Courant. The picture features Jean Gabin and Simone Simon, and is loosely based on the 1890 novel La Bête humaine by Émile Zola.

La Bête Humaine is partially set "on a train that may be thought of as one of the main characters in the film." Although generally listed as a romantic drama, it is sometimes thought to foreshadow the film noir genre. Fritz Lang directed an adaptation of the same source material as Human Desire 16 years later in the U.S. for Columbia Pictures. The latter film falls more properly within the film noir genre.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is La Bête Humaine about?
La Bête Humaine (1938) — Jacques Lantier is a train engineer who is prone to violent seizures, a condition he attributes to his forefathers' habit of excessive drinking. Roubaud is a train conductor on the same railroad that Lantier works on, married to the much younger Séverine. When Roubaud catches win
Is La Bête Humaine based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is La Bête Humaine scary?
Content rating: Not Rated. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.