The Horse

1970 1h 20m FR

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 58

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Auguste Maroilleur, an elderly farmer, exploits 400 hectares of crop land with the help of his family, over which he rules with an iron hand. Things go awry the day he discovers one of his grandsons is involved in drug traffic. To make matters worse, the reckless youth has hidden the white powder in the Maroilleur farm. Without a moment's hesitation, Auguste gets rid of the toxic substance but, of course, the mob has different views...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jean Gabin
Auguste Maroilleur
Danièle Ajoret
Louise, Auguste's Second Daughter
Michel Barbey
Maurice, Louise's Husband
Christian Barbier
Léon, Mathilde’s Husband
Pierre Dux
Investigating Judge
Armando Francioli
Francis Grutti, a Crook
Julien Guiomar
Police Commissioner
Eléonore Hirt
Mathilde, Daughter of Auguste

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pierre Granier-Deferre
Writers: Pascal Jardin, Pierre Granier-Deferre
Languages: French
Countries: Germany, France, Italy

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Germany, France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre, shot by Walter Wottitz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jean Gabin and Danièle Ajoret and Michel Barbey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0064294 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pierre Granier-Deferre directs. Walter Wottitz behind the camera. Serge Gainsbourg scores. Jean Ravel cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, France, Italy. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
256 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 3 countries: Germany, France, Italy.
4Directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre, shot by Walter Wottitz. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Serge Gainsbourg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jean Ravel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jean Gabin and Danièle Ajoret and Michel Barbey carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0064294 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.