HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT'S
INFERNAL aka
L'ENFER D'HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT
Year: 2009
USA: Flicker Alley
UK: Park Circus
Cast: Romy Schneider, Serge Reggiani, Dany Carrel, Jean-Claude Bercq, Maurice Garrel, Mario David
Directors: Serge Bromberg; Ruxandra Medrea
Country: France
Language: French (English subtitles)
USA: 102 mins
UK: 100 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains sexualised nudity
USA Release Date: 16 July 2010 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 6 November 2009 (Limited Release)
Synopsis
INFERNO is the story of a man, Marcel Prieur, played by Serge Reggiani, the manager of a modest hotel in provincial France, who becomes possessed by the demons of jealousy.
The film begins with Marcel standing before Odette's (Romy Schneider) stretched-out body with a razor blade in his hand, trying to remember how he got to this point. Did Odette, his pretty wife, despicably and scandalously cheat on him? And, with whom?
He tries to remember their life together, and the happy beginning of their relationship: buying the hotel, meeting Odette... But, quickly, the memory grows hazy. Jealousy and visions take greater and greater control of his mind...
In 1964, Henri-Georges Clouzot chose Romy Schneider and Serge Reggiani, as the lead actors of L'ENFER (INFERNO). This enigmatic and original project, about a hotel manager who becomes possessed by the demons of jealousy, was given an unlimited budget and touted to be the cinematographic event of the decade. However, three weeks into filming, drama unfolds and the project aborted. The images, said to be incredible, were never shown.
Decades later, having uncovered some of the original rushes and screen tests, directors Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea have succeeded in recreating a new film from the remnants and brought it to fruition. Part original, part documentary and part reconstruction, Henri-Georges Clouzot's INFERNO shows L'ENFERr as it was shot, and tells the emotional story of an ill-fated film project and of Henri-Georges Clouzot, who had been given free reign to his filmmaking genius.
