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The Beast
La Bête
1975 98 min France 18+
★6.2
Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Director: Walerian Borowczyk
🎭 Based on
«Lokis»
byProsper Mérimée
Trailers
Description
The head of a failing French family thinks that fate has smiled down on him when the daughter of a wealthy man agrees to be married to his son. The daughter and her aunt then travel out to the French countryside to meet with the family, unaware that a mysterious 'beast' is stalking the vicinity.
Starring
Sirpa Lane
Actor
Lisbeth Hummel
Actor
Elisabeth Kaza
Actor
Key opinion
La Bête is a polarizing avant-garde erotic horror that reimagines the Beauty and the Beast myth through a provocative, ironic lens. While its technical mastery and bold thematic explorations of sexual obsession earn praise from cinephiles, its explicit imagery and uneven aesthetic execution alienate mainstream audiences.
| Originality | The film demonstrates a mastery of ironic tone, successfully balancing high-concept gothic fairy tale elements with transgressive, shocking content. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography is consistently praised for its sensuous, vivid visual presentation and its ability to underscore the film's eerie, psycho-sexual atmosphere. | |
| Score | Dominique Schalati's score is a standout feature, providing a melodic and immersive auditory backdrop that elevates the film's surreal narrative. | |
| Production | Opinions on production design are divided; some critics admire the film's meticulous, artful aesthetic, while others perceive it as a low-budget production burdened by cheap, cardboard-like props and unconvincing practical effects. | |
| Ending | The ending remains a major point of contention, with viewers polarized between those who appreciate its uncompromising, shocking nature and those who find the explicit depictions of zoophilia and sodomy crude and detrimental to the film's erotic tone. | |
| Accessibility | The film is highly inaccessible, serving as a specialized experience that caters to deep cinephiles and fans of extreme auteur horror rather than general viewers. |