''Just Before Nightfall'' (french: Juste avant la nuit) is a 1971 crime drama film written and directed by

Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...

, based on the 1951 novel ''The Thin Line'' by

Edward Atiyah Edward Selim Atiyah (Arabic: ادوار سليم عطية‎; 1903 – 22 October 1964) was an Anglo-Lebanese author and political activist. He is best known for his 1946 autobiography ''An Arab Tells His Story'', and his 1955 book ''The Arabs'' ...

. Audran won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role at the 27th British Academy Film Awards.

Plot

Charles Masson ( Bouquet), an

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

account executive Account executive is a role in sales, advertising, marketing, and finance involving intimate understanding of a client company's objectives and products and a professional capability to provide effective advice toward creation of successful promot ...

, is having an affair with Laura (Douking), the wife of his best friend, world-renowned

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

François Tellier ( Périer). Their sex life consists of sadomasochistic behavior, and in one of their heated sessions, Charles accidentally strangles Laura. Completely confused, Charles leaves the borrowed apartment in Paris and runs into François at a nearby

bistro A bistro or bistrot , is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods ...

. The two drive back together to

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

, where they have beautiful adjoining houses designed by François. The owner of the apartment had seen Laura and Charles together two months earlier, but she does not tell the police because of François. Even though the police do not seem to have any clues to the crime, Charles has a difficult time coping with the situation, and tries to lead a normal life with his two children and loving wife Hélène ( Audran).

Principal cast

Critical reception

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

of ''The

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'' gave the film 3 1/2 out of 4 stars: Mike Sutton of ''The Digital Fix'':

References

External links

* * {{Claude Chabrol 1971 films 1971 drama films 1970s psychological thriller films Adultery in films BDSM in films Films based on British novels Films directed by Claude Chabrol Films shot in France Films shot in Paris French drama films French thriller films 1970s French films

Plot

Principal cast

Critical reception

See also

References

External links