''Descent into Hell'' (french: Descente aux enfers) is a 1986 French

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...

film directed by

Francis Girod Francis Girod (9 October 1944 – 19 November 2006) was a French film director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed 20 films between 1974 and 2006. His film '' L'enfance de l'art'' was entered into the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. In 1994 h ...

from a screenplay he co-wrote with

Jean-Loup Dabadie Jean-Loup Dabadie (27 September 1938 – 24 May 2020) was a French journalist, writer, lyricist, screenwriter and member of the Académie Française. Filmography * ''Anna'' (1967) * ''Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me'' (1972) * '' Parisian Life'' ( ...

, based on the 1955 novel ''The Wounded and the Slain'' by

David Goodis David Loeb Goodis (March 2, 1917 – January 7, 1967) was an American writer of crime fiction noted for his output of short stories and novels in the noir fiction genre. Born in Philadelphia, Goodis alternately resided there and in New York Cit ...

. The film stars

Claude Brasseur Claude Brasseur (15 June 1936 – 22 December 2020) was a French actor. Life and career Claude Brasseur was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine as Claude Pierre Espinasse, the son of actor Pierre Brasseur and actress Odette Joyeux. He was the godson of E ...

and

Sophie Marceau Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...

as a married couple—she with a dark secret in her past and he, an author suffering from both writer's block and alcoholism—who undergo experiences which strain their relationship to breaking point while vacationing in Haiti.

Plot

Staying in a luxurious hotel in

Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...

, Haiti, are the beautiful and sensual Lola, aged about 20, and her husband Alan, a pulp writer some 30 years older. The stay was meant to give him the opportunity to start a new book, but he spends much of the time drinking. Frustrated at his behaviour, she starts an affair with a French fellow guest. Drunk in an empty street, Alan is attacked but, defending himself with an empty bottle, leaves his assailant dead. A witness, Théophile, offers to keep quiet for a huge sum in cash, upon which he will return the bottle. Selling her jewels, Lola raises the money and throws the bottle into the sea. Not satisfied that this is the end of the story, Alan confesses to the police, who do not believe him because he can produce no proof of the killing and they have already locked up a suspect. Alan then goes to Théophile to urge him to testify, but the man attacks him and in the ensuing struggle is left nearly dead. The film ends with Alan in hospital and Lola, whose deep bond with him has been renewed, at his bedside.

Cast

as Alan Kolber *

as Lola Kolber *

Betsy Blair Betsy Blair (born Elizabeth Winifred Boger; December 11, 1923March 13, 2009) was an American actress of film and stage, long based in London. Blair pursued a career in entertainment from the age of eight, and as a child worked as an amateur danc ...

as Mrs. Burns *

Hippolyte Girardot Hippolyte Girardot (born Frédéric Girardot; 10 October 1955) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He is the father of actress Ana Girardot. Selected filmography * 1973: '' La Femme de Jean'', directed by Yannick Bellon, Rémi ...

as Philippe Devignat *

Sidiki Bakaba Sidiki Bakaba (born in Abengourou, 1949) is an actor, scenario writer and director from Côte d'Ivoire. He lives and works in Abidjan. After studying at the National School of Drama of Abidjan, he conducted training at the Living Theatre and ...

as Theophile Bijou *

Gérard Rinaldi Gérard Rinaldi (February 17, 1943 – March 2, 2012) was a French actor, musician, lyricist, artistic director and singer with Les Charlots. Career Death Rinaldi died of lymphoma on March 2, 2012. He was 69. A few days later, holding back ...

as Elvis *

Marie Dubois Marie Dubois (born Claudine Lucie Pauline Huzé; 12 January 1937 – 15 October 2014) was a Parisian-born French actress. Career She studied at l'École de la rue Blanche (ENSATT) and made her film debut in 1959, first gaining notice the next ...

as Lucette Beulemans Claude Braseur and Sophie Marceau had played the leads in two other films, which had attained great popularity in France: ''

La Boum ''La Boum'' (English title: ''The Party'' or ''Ready for Love'') is a 1980 French teen romantic comedy film directed by Claude Pinoteau and starring Sophie Marceau, appearing in her film début. Written by Danièle Thompson and Pinoteau, the film ...

'' (1980) and its sequel, ''

La Boum 2 ''La Boum 2'' is a 1982 French teen romantic comedy film directed by Claude Pinoteau and starring Claude Brasseur, Brigitte Fossey, and Sophie Marceau. Written by Danièle Thompson and Claude Pinoteau, the film is about a girl who falls in love wit ...

''—where they played father and daughter. Their performance in ''Descente'', given their age difference (thirty years) and the nude scenes, led to media discussions and allegations—that Brasseur had no credibility playing Lola Kolber's lover after having played her father, and that Marceau had been forced to skip enjoying her youth. In an interview with

Europe 1 Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio station created in 1955. Owned and operated by Lagardère Active, a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group, it is one of the leading radio broadcasting stations in France and its pro ...

, Brasseur said, "Jouer le père de Sophie Marceau dans ''

''... puis son amant dans ''Descente aux enfers'' quatre ans plus tard, est un choix qui m'a coûté très cher. Ça n'a pas surpris, ça a choqué. Quand ''Descente aux enfers'' est sorti, il y a eu une profusion de courriers adressés à Gaumont, à Sophie et moi. C'est tout juste si on ne m'accusait pas d'inceste." Girod, in a review of the 2005 DVD release of ''Descent into Hell'', commented, "Après avoir convaincu Sophie Marceau de tourner des scènes de nudité pour les besoins du film, mon mauvais esprit m'a poussé à proposer à Claude Brasseur le rôle de son mari. Ce qui m'amusait beaucoup parce qu'il sortait des ''Boum'' où il jouait le père de Sophie. D'ailleurs, entre nous sur le tournage, on appelait ''Descente aux enfers… La Boum X'' (rires). ��Cela a moins amusé un certain nombre de spectateurs groupies de Claude Brasseur qui lui ont envoyé des lettres d'insultes, au moment de la sortie du film ('Salaud ! Tu n'as pas honte ?')."

Music

The CD soundtrack was composed by

Georges Delerue Georges Delerue (12 March 1925 – 20 March 1992) was a French composer who composed over 350 scores for cinema and television. Delerue won numerous important film music awards, including an Academy Award for '' A Little Romance'' (1980), three C ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Descente Aux Enfers 1986 films 1986 drama films 1986 thriller films 1980s French films 1980s French-language films 1980s psychological drama films 1980s psychological thriller films Films about couples Films about vacationing Films based on American novels Films directed by Francis Girod Films scored by Georges Delerue Films set in Haiti Films set on beaches Films shot in Haiti Films with screenplays by Jean-Loup Dabadie French psychological drama films French psychological thriller films