Die Hölle von Henri-Georges Clouzot (2009)

Die Hölle von Henri-Georges Clouzot: Directed by Serge Bromberg, Ruxandra Medrea. With Romy Schneider, Bérénice Bejo, Serge Reggiani, Jacques Gamblin. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s unfinished masterpiece, L’enfer (1964), is reconstructed in this film which is part drama and part documentary.

“A most interesting film surrounding the making of Clouzotu0026#39;s unfinished, Inferno. Abandoned in 1964 ostensibly due to the directoru0026#39;s heart attack, a substantial amount of filming remains and much use has been made of the original footage. Intended as a film about a husbandu0026#39;s obsessive jealousy over his wifeu0026#39;s apparent philandering, it seems Clouzot became himself obsessed. The b/w footage appears to have some promise but is without soundtrack so hard to judge, but no the real interest here is the experimental reels. Determined to make a film like no other, Clouzot recruited any number of technicians and artists to help create devices to give him surreal or psychedelic affects. Along the way the director has clearly fallen for the lovely Romy Schneider who for instance spent four days with a camera close up on her lips whilst exhaling cigarette smoke and wearing various colours of lipstick, including blue. Valuable as an insight into the attempted making of Inferno but a little frustrating in that it asks more questions than it answers, like the true mental state of the director and why nobody else might have carried on. It is possible that a lot was left out here because Clouzotu0026#39;s widow was to have last say on the film but it would be nice to know and maybe someone else one day will have another go, there seems enough footage.”