La Bête Humaine (1938)
La bête humaine (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 40min
- Crime, Drama
- 19 Feb 1940 (USA)
- Movie
In this classic adaptation of Emile Zola's novel, a tortured train engineer falls in love with a troubled married woman who has helped her husband commit a murder.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Award:
- 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Jean Gabin | ... |
Jacques Lantier
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| Simone Simon | ... |
Séverine Roubaud
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| Fernand Ledoux | ... |
Roubaud
(as Ledoux de la Comédie Française)
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| Blanchette Brunoy | ... |
Flore
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| Gérard Landry | ... |
Dauvergne
(as Gerard Landry)
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Jenny Hélia | ... |
Philomène Sauvagnat
(as Jenny Helia)
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Colette Régis | ... |
Victoire Pecqueux
(as Colette Regis)
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Claire Gérard | ... |
Une voyageuse
(as Claire Gerard)
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| Charlotte Clasis | ... |
Tante Phasie
(as Germaine Clasis)
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| Jacques Berlioz | ... |
Grandmorin
(as Berlioz)
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Tony Corteggiani | ... |
Dabadie
(as Cortegianni)
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André Tavernier | ... |
Le juge d'instruction Denizet
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| Marcel Pérès | ... |
Un lampiste
(as Perez)
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| Jean Renoir | ... |
Cabuche
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| Julien Carette | ... |
Pecqueux
(as Carette)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Jacques Roussel | ... |
Commissaire Cauche
(as Roussel)
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Jacques Beauvais | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Jacques Becker | ... |
Un lampiste (uncredited)
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| Jacques B. Brunius | ... |
Un garçon de ferme (uncredited)
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Marguerite de Morlaye | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Guy Decomble | ... |
Le garde-barrière (uncredited)
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Émile Genevois | ... |
Un garçon de ferme (uncredited)
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Léon Larive | ... |
Le valet de chambre (uncredited)
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Maurice Marceau | ... |
Un mécanicien (uncredited)
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Georges Péclet | ... |
Un cheminot (uncredited)
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Georges Spanelly | ... |
Camy-Lamotte (uncredited)
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Marcel Véran | ... |
Le chanteur (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Jean Renoir | ||
Written by
| Émile Zola | ... | (inspired by the novel by) |
| Jean Renoir | ... | (adaptation and dialogue) (uncredited) |
| Jean Renoir | ... | (screenplay) |
| Denise Leblond | ... | (dialogue) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Raymond Hakim | ... | producer |
| Robert Hakim | ... | producer |
Music by
| Joseph Kosma | ||
Cinematography by
| Curt Courant | ||
Editing by
| Suzanne de Troeye | ||
| Marguerite Renoir | ... | (as Marg. Houlet Renoir) |
Production Design by
| Eugène Lourié | ... | (as Lourié) |
Costume Design by
| Laure Lourié | ... | (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Frédéric Liotier | ... | production supervisor |
| Grégoire Metchikian | ... | unit manager (as Metchikian) |
| Roland Tual | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Suzanne de Troeye | ... | assistant director |
| Claude Renoir Sr. | ... | assistant director (as Claude Renoir ainé) |
Sound Department
| Robert Teisseire | ... | sound engineer (as Teissere) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Guy Ferrier | ... | assistant camera |
| Sam Levin | ... | still photographer |
| Jacques Natteau | ... | assistant camera (as Natteau) |
| Maurice Pecqueux | ... | assistant camera (as Pecqueux) |
| Alain Renoir | ... | assistant camera |
| Claude Renoir | ... | camera operator (as Claude Renoir Jr.) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Suzanne de Troeye | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Raymond Hakim | ... | presenter |
| Robert Hakim | ... | presenter |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France (1938) (France) (theatrical)
- Paris Films Location (1938) (France) (theatrical)
- Film AB Skandinavien (1939) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- United Curzon (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- City Film (1939) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Century Park Pictures (1940) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Juno (1940) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- New Realm Pictures (1941) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (re-release) (retitled) (subtitled)
- Transcontinent (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Les Films Vog (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Les Films Georges Muller (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Gaumont-Columbia-RCA (GCR) (1981) (France) (VHS)
- Éditions Montparnasse (1989) (France) (VHS)
- Éditions Atlas (1991) (France) (VHS)
- ARTE (1993) (France) (tv)
- Hen's Tooth Video (1994) (United States) (VHS) (subtitled)
- Warner Home Vidéo (1995) (France) (VHS)
- Canal+ Vidéo (1998) (France) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (2000) (United Kingdom) (VHS) (subtitled)
- Studiocanal Vidéo (2001) (France) (DVD)
- Warner Home Vidéo (2001) (France) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Video (2004) (France) (DVD)
- M6 Interactions (2005) (France) (DVD)
- Vértice 360 (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2006) (United States) (DVD) (subtitled)
- Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
- StudioCanal (2013) (France) (Blu-ray)
- Divisa Home Video (2016) (Spain) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital) (subtitled)
- NHK-BS2 (1991) (Japan) (tv)
- Pioneer LDC (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Parvo (camera equipment provided by)
- Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) (special thanks)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Jacques Lantier is a train engineer who is prone to violent seizures, a condition he attributes to his forefathers' habit of excessive drinking. Roubaud is a train conductor on the same railroad that Lantier works on, married to the much younger Séverine. When Roubaud catches wind of his wife's affair with her godfather, the wealthy M. Grandmorin, he kills him during a train journey in a fit of jealousy. He makes sure that Séverine is also present, making her an accomplice to murder. Lantier, despite having witnessed them quite clearly in the train corridor, hides the fact during the investigation as he is attracted to Séverine. They both begin an affair, all the while Roubaud becomes increasingly withdrawn and starts to gamble. Séverine urges Lantier to kill her husband so that they would be free but she is unaware of Lantier's unfortunate condition. Written by Soumitra |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | From the novel "La Bete Humaine" a drama of consuming passions, directed by Jean Renoir See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Jean Gabin learned how to conduct locomotive before shooting. See more » |
| Goofs | At about the 0:28:00 mark the boom mic shadows moves on the far left wall. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Une histoire seule (1989). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Le Coeur de Ninon See more » |
| Quotes |
Jacques Lantier:
Pecqueux, I have to tell you something. Don't say a word and don't move. I killed her. That's right, I killed her. It's all over. I'll never see her again. It'll be the death of me, I know it. I couldn't bear to hold her anymore. I loved her, you know? I loved her little hands most of all. But there's one thing I don't get: why haven't they arrested me? See more » |