Dark Woods

1989 1h 38m FR

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

★10.0TMDB · 1

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this gothic romance based on a 1950s novel by Robert Margerit, after a whirlwind romance, Violette, a Parisian girl, has married Gustave Dupin, a charming aristocrat, and returned with him to live on his country estate. There, she begins to discover that all is not as it seemed, and beneath her groom's charming exterior is an undreamt-of savagery. She forms an alliance with her husband's much saner brother Bastien which saves her in the end, but not before she must go on trial for the murder of her husband.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Béatrice Dalle
Violette
Philippe Volter
Gustave
Stéphane Freiss
Bastien
Geneviève Page
Nathalie Dupin
Michel Duchaussoy
Investigating judge
Hervé Laudière
Antoine
Jenny Clève
Anna Bourderias
Pierre Vial
Dr. Charles

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jacques Deray
Writers: Pascal Bonitzer, Jacques Deray
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.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Jacques Deray, shot by Carlo Varini. 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 Romano Musumarra. 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 Hugues Darmois 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

Béatrice Dalle and Philippe Volter and Stéphane Freiss carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0096965 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jacques Deray directs. Carlo Varini behind the camera. Romano Musumarra scores. Hugues Darmois cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Jacques Deray, shot by Carlo Varini. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Romano Musumarra. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Hugues Darmois shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Béatrice Dalle and Philippe Volter and Stéphane Freiss carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0096965 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.