The Wicked Go to Hell

"The body of Venus... the smile of a temptress... and a heart dripping with fury and revenge!"

1955 1h 33m FR

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 10

DramaCrime

Synopsis

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Two convicts attempt to escape from prison in a violent tale of deception, survival, and moral ambiguity.

“The body of Venus... the smile of a temptress... and a heart dripping with fury and revenge!”

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Cast

Marina Vlady
Eva
Henri Vidal
Pierre Macquart
Serge Reggiani
Rudel
Jacques Duby
Georges Bagot
Robert Dalban
Clément
Robert Hossein
Fred
Lucien Raimbourg
Le gardien chef
Charles Blavette
Le pompiste

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Hossein
Writers: Robert Hossein, René Wheeler
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

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Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Hossein, shot by Michel Kelber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by André Hossein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Charles Bretoneiche shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marina Vlady and Henri Vidal and Serge Reggiani carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The body of Venus... the smile of a temptress... and a heart dripping with fury and revenge!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0143851 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Hossein directs. Michel Kelber behind the camera. André Hossein scores. Charles Bretoneiche cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

171 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Robert Hossein, shot by Michel Kelber. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by André Hossein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Charles Bretoneiche shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Marina Vlady and Henri Vidal and Serge Reggiani carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The body of Venus... the smile of a temptress... and a heart dripping with fury and revenge!".
8IMDB entry: tt0143851 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Michel Kelber
Original score: André Hossein
Editing: Charles Bretoneiche
Production design: Serge Piménoff
Makeup / hair: Georges Bouban
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Wicked Go to Hell (1955)

Also by

Robert Hossein

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-03-12
★ 8/10
Eva is for Ever. Les salauds vont en enfer (The Bastards Go to Hell) is directed by Robert Hossein and Hossein co-adapts the screenplay with René Wheeler from the Frédéric Dard play. It stars Marina Vlady, Henri Vidal and Serge Reggiani. Music is by André Hossein and cinematography by Michel Kelber. Two escaped convicts hole up at a beach house and get more than they bargained for... 1955 was the year that Robert Hossein starred in Jules Dassin's brilliant crimer, Rififi, it was also the year where he began his directing career with this splendid slice of Frenchie film noir. Pic is very much a two parter, first part focuses on our two protagonists in prison. Standard prison noir rules are adhered to, with the shadows of the bars suitably oppressive, the murky confinements of the surroundings offering up a feeling of sorrowful pessimism. There's even a strong narrative thread that says one of the men may be a rat, which is a problem since they share a cell together! But they want out, and we want them out because we feel their claustrophobia in that there dank miserable prison. Then the story goes outside, it's all airy, with sunshine even, but this is noir so darkness is never far away. It's here where we are introduced to our femme fatale, who comes in the form of Eva, played as crafty and sensual by Vlady. A turn of events has brought the three of them together, and as the story plays out there's a whole ream of human traits, foibles and wiles on show. It's all very deliciously sly, a trinity bouncing off of each other with a blend of mistrust and sexual energy. Which shunts us uneasily, yet in eager anticipation as well, towards the finale. Hossein (who also plays a part in the film) knows his noir, and he knows that the best noirs do not cop out at the end. Thus we have, well, the ending here. The only misstep here is the musical score. Scored by Hossein's father, it's far too old school for the play on show, it would be more at home in a silent chiller of the 20s, or some Tod Slaughter twirling moustache horror of the 30s. A shame, for even though it isn't a film killer, a better and more tonally aware composition would have elevated this nifty noir to a grade higher. Also be advised that the subtitles don't hang around, read quickly folks! 8/10

Production companies