''Eaux profondes'' is a 1981 French

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

Michel Deville Michel Deville (13 April 1931 – 16 February 2023) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deville started his filmmaking career in the late 1950s, paralleling the emergence of the French New Wave directors. He never achieved the level o ...

that stars

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Known for her portrayals of cold, austere women devoid of morality, she is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. With 16 nominations and two win ...

and

Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-World War II, war era. He starred in m ...

. Based on the novel '' Deep Water'' by

Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmith (born Mary Patricia Plangman; January 19, 1921 – February 4, 1995) was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character T ...

, it tells the story of a man who regains his wife's affections by killing two of her lovers.

Plot

On the island of Jersey, the perfumier Vic and his wife Mélanie are an ideal couple. Living in a grand house, they entertain often and mix with all the important people. Mélanie has however taken to provoking Vic at parties by flirting outrageously with other men, so Vic warns them off by saying that he was the murderer of a missing man. Mélanie then starts bringing random men home to drink and dance with her, until Vic eventually goes to bed alone in disgust. When she picks up Carlo, a hotel employee, and takes him to an exclusive party, Vic has had enough. After everybody has had a dip in the swimming pool, just Carlo is left and Vic drowns him. The verdict of the inquest is accidental death, though Mélanie claims at the hearing that it was murder by Vic. When soon after she brings home yet another lover, this time Vic researches the man, finding that he is a private investigator hired by Mélanie to keep an eye on him. When the man's cover is blown, he leaves fast. Vic then receives a visitor, a man named Cameron who sells perfumes in the USA, and Mélanie makes an immediate play for him. After she tells Vic one morning that she is leaving with Cameron, driving into town he sees the man and asks him into the car to discuss things. Going to an isolated spot, after bludgeoning Cameron to death and wrapping and trussing the body, he tips it off a high cliff into the sea. Investigating the unexplained disappearance of a man who had not paid his hotel bill, the police question Vic as the last person to see him and then close the file for lack of evidence. Mélanie now realises that he has killed two men to get closer to her and starts a reconciliation.

Cast

as Mélanie *

as Vic * Sandrine Kljajic as their daughter Marion *

Éric Frey Éric eʁikis a French masculine given name, the equivalent of English Eric. In French-speaking Canada and Belgium it is also sometimes unaccented, and pronounced "Eric" as English with the stress on the "i". A notable French exception is Erik Sat ...

as Denis Miller * Christian Benedetti as Carlo Canelli * Bruce Myers as Cameron * Bertrand Bonvoisin as Robert Carpentier *

Jean-Luc Moreau Jean-Luc may refer to: Politics * Jean-Luc Bennahmias (born 1954), a French politician and Member of the European Parliament * Jean-Luc Bourgeaux (born 1963), a French politician * Jean-Luc Dehaene (1940–2014), a Flemish politician * Jean-Luc F ...

as Joël *

Robin Renucci Robin Renucci (born 11 July 1956, in Le Creusot, Saône-et-Loire) is a French people, French film and television actor and film director. Acting filmography * ''Eaux profondes'' (1981) : ''Ralph'' * ''Les Misérables (1982 film), Les Misérabl ...

as Ralph *

Philippe Clévenot Philippe is a masculine given name, cognate to Philip, and sometimes also a surname. The name may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince ...

as Henri Valette *

Martine Costes Martine is a feminine given name and a surname. Given name * Martine Aubry (born 1950), French politician * Martine Audet (born 1961), Canadian poet * Martine Aurillac (born 1939), French politician * Martine Baay-Timmerman (born 1958), Dutch ...

as La maman de Julie *

Évelyne Didi Évelyne Didi is a French actress, sister of the philosopher and art historian Georges Didi-Huberman Georges Didi-Huberman Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (born 13 June 1953) is a French people, French philosopher and art historian. Biogra ...

as Evelyn Cowan *

Jean-Michel Dupuis Jean-Michel Dupuis (2 February 1955 – 14 September 2024) was a French theatre, television, and film actor. Born on 2 February 1955, he died on 14 September 2024, at the age of 69.Bernard Freyd Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern ...

as Havermal *

Anne Head Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in t ...

as La directrice *

Maurice Jacquemont Maurice may refer to: *Maurice (name), a given name and surname, including a list of people with the name Places * or Mauritius, an island country in the Indian Ocean *Maurice, Iowa, a city *Maurice, Louisiana, a village *Maurice River, a trib ...

as Docteur Franklin *

Sylvie Orcier Sylvie may refer to: * ''Sylvie'' (novel), an 1853 novel by Gérard de Nerval * Sylvie (actress) (1883–1970), French actress * Sylvie (band), a Canadian rock band from Regina, active in the 2000s * ''Sylvie'' (album), a 1962 album by Sylvie ...

as Jeanne Miller *

Pierre Vial Pierre Vial (born 25 December 1942) is an academic medievalist tied to the Jean Moulin University Lyon 3. A Nouvelle Droite leader, he is the founder of the far-right, neopagan association Terre et Peuple. Biography Pierre Vial was born on 25 ...

as Le juge

References

External links

* 1981 films 1980s psychological thriller films 1980s French-language films French psychological thriller films Police detective films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Patricia Highsmith Films directed by Michel Deville Gaumont (company) films 1980s French films {{psychological-thriller-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links