Les Parents Terribles (1948)

 Jean Cocteau's "Les Parents Terribles"


Jean Cocteau's 1948 film "Les Parents Terribles" is a screen adaptation of his very own stage play. Translating a stage play to the screen is always very tricky. But Cocteau somehow managed to make cinematic magic with this adaptation, which was revered by critics and audiences at the time.

The film takes place in a crampy apartment where a young Michel, his mother Yvonne, his father Georges, and his aunt Leo all live. When Michel decides to announce with love for Madeleine, a young woman he's been seeing, he ends up revealing dark secrets from within the family. The family members concoct a plan to drive Madeleine and Michel apart in order to save their decency.

Cocteau was faithful to his original stage play, despite some additional dialogue. However, in filming the sequences, he wanted to experiment with the camera in order to elevate the story from its typical stage appearances. He employed frequent boldly framed close-ups of the actors, along with using a mobile camera through the rooms of the apartment. These emphasized the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film's setting. Also, the effect as a viewer is that you feel as though you are in the midst of the environment along with the characters. While watching, I felt an almost uncomfortable intimacy. 



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