Eyes Without a Face (Les yeux sans visage)
Directed by Georges Franju
Written by Pierre Gascar, Claude Sautet, Jean Redon et al from Redon’s novel
1960/France
Champs-Elysees Productions/Lux Film
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Doctor Génessier: Smile. Not too much. [/box]
“Beautiful” is not an adjective usually applied to horror movies.
Dr. Genessier (Pierre Brasseur) is a physician who experiments with tissue transplants in his off hours. Many of these are performed on the kennel of dogs he has stolen. When his reckless driving causes an accident that destroys the beautiful face of his daughter Christiane (Edith Scobe), he has a new project.
His technique actually had some success with Louise (Alida Valli). Now she is his faithful assistant and sets about kidnapping girls with Christiane’s delicate beauty for the doctor’s horrendous facial transplant surgery. In the meantime, Christiane’s simple wish is to go blind or die.
This is a horror movie without monsters or jump cuts. The shivers come mostly from the artfully graphic surgery sequences. Then there are all those enraged dogs. This is a poetic, somberly paced film. The black-and-white cinematography looks exquisite on the Criterion Blu-Ray. Recommended.
Film club trailer
Critic Mark Kermode discusses the film
I first saw this around Halloween about three years ago and I’ve made it one of the scary movies I watch every year in October. It’s great. Christiane’s mask is simultaneously beautiful and creepy. I love the ending, where she lets the dogs go and just wanders off into the countryside. And the main reason I love Alida Valli is the way she just pops up in the most random movies
I love what those dogs do to the doctor! I always enjoy Valli in those random films. Of course there is Third Man but I also like her a lot in an obscure early Antonioni film called Il Grido (The Cry). I think she’s one of the great classic beauties.
Another great random Alida Valli sighting is Suspiria.
I have that to look forward to!
I’ve always pictured this as a 1950s B-movie as done by an A-list director. It’s a hard watch in places, but a damn fine film.
Agreed. Franju was also luck in his actors.
You’ve already said it all: strange, poetic, beautiful!
It’s really one of the most strikingly memorable movies ever.