''He Died with His Eyes Open'' (original title: ''On ne meurt que deux fois'') is a 1985 French erotic

neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Jacques Deray Jacques Deray (born Jacques Desrayaud; 19 February 1929 – 9 August 2003) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime and thriller films. Biography Born Jacques Desrayaud in Lyon, France, in ...

. It was based on the 1984 English-language novel ''He Died with His Eyes Open'' by

Derek Raymond Robert William Arthur Cook (12 June 1931 – 30 July 1994), better known since the 1980s by his pen name Derek Raymond, was an English crime writer, credited with being a founder of British '' noir''. Biography Early life The eldest son of a t ...

. It starred Charlotte Rampling and

Michel Serrault Michel Serrault (24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and film actor who appeared from 1954 until 2007 in more than 130 films. Life and career His first professional job was in a touring production in Germany of Molière's '' Les ...

. The film won the César Award for Best Cinematography. Charlotte Rampling and Michel Serrault were nominated for César Award for Best Actor and Actress.

Plot

Charly Berliner, a pianist, is found dead beside a railway track. The inspector in charge of the investigation, Robert Staniland, arrives at the victim's home to search for clues. As he listens to the tapes recorded by Berliner in which he confesses his love for a mysterious woman named Barbara, the latter turns up unexpectedly and confesses to the crime.

Cast

as Inspector Robert Staniland * Charlotte Rampling as Barbara Spark *

Xavier Deluc Xavier Deluc (born 18 March 1958) is a French actor, director and scriptwriter. He is most known for acting in TV series such as 'Marc Eliot' (a French police drama), Dolmen (Brittany based family drama) and 12 seasons of ' Research Unit' (anoth ...

as Marc Spark * Élisabeth Depardieu as Margo Berliner *

Jean-Paul Roussillon Jean-Paul Roussillon (5 March 1931 – 31 July 2009) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1954 and 2008. He starred in the film '' Playing 'In the Company of Men, which was screened in the Un C ...

as Léonce *

Jean-Pierre Darroussin Jean-Pierre Darroussin (born 4 December 1953) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was born in Courbevoie, France. Theater Filmography Actor *1992: '' Riens du tout'' (directed by Cédric Klapisch starring Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Berlioux) ...

as Moulard * Julie Jézéquel as Sophie *

Albert Delpy Albert Delpy (born 13 September 1941) is a Vietnamese-born French actor and writer. He has appeared in more than one hundred films since 1970. Personal life He is the father of Julie Delpy and has appeared as her on-screen father in '' 2 Days in ...

as Forensic scientist *

Riton Liebman Henri Liebman (born 29 January 1964), known as Riton Liebman, is a Belgian comedian, actor, and director. Career Liebman made his first impression with audiences at age 13, when French director Bertrand Blier discovered him and cast him as Christ ...

as Éric Berliner *

Gérard Darmon Gérard Darmon (born 29 February 1948) is a French- Moroccan actor and singer. Personal life He was the second husband of actress Mathilda May (mother of his two youngest children). He has three children: Virginie (born 1968) and, by May, daug ...

as Jean-Loup Soeren *

Jean-Pierre Bacri Jean-Pierre Bacri (24 May 1951 – 18 January 2021) was a French actor and screenwriter. He frequently worked in collaboration with Agnès Jaoui. Life and career One of Bacri's earliest film appearances was ''Subway''. He co-wrote with Jaoui ...

as The barman

Accolades

References

External links

* 1985 films French crime thriller films French mystery films 1980s French-language films French crime drama films French erotic drama films 1980s crime drama films Films based on British novels Films directed by Jacques Deray Incest in film Political thriller films French neo-noir films French detective films 1980s erotic thriller films 1980s erotic drama films 1985 drama films Films scored by Claude Bolling Films with screenplays by Michel Audiard 1980s French films {{erotic-thriller-film-stub