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Summary:

Sophie (Sandrine Bonnaire), the housemaid to a wealthy family, forms a mysterious alliance with Jeanne (Isabelle Huppert), a small-town postal worker. Their violent pasts resurface when they feel unacknowledged. The film is considered the crowning achievement of Claude Chabrol's career and is a riveting study of class dynamics and the psychology of crime.

Contributors:

Chabrol, Claude, 1930-2010 , film director, screenwriter

Karmitz, Marin , film producer

Eliacheff, Caroline , screenwriter

Huppert, Isabelle , actor

Bonnaire, Sandrine, 1967- , actor

Bisset, Jacqueline, 1944- , actor

Cassel, Jean-Pierre, 1932-2007 , actor

Ledoyen, Virginie, 1976- , actor

Merlet, Valentin , actor

Chabrol, Matthieu , composer

Zitzermann, Bernard , cinematographer

Fardoulis, Monique , editor of moving image work

Rendell, Ruth, 1930-2015

MK2 Productions , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

France 3 cinéma (Firm) , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Prokino Filmproduktion , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Olga Film GmbH , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Criterion Collection (Firm) , publisher, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/pbl

Languages:

French
English

Language Notes:

French dialogue with optional English subtitles.

Main Work:

Cérémonie (Motion picture)

Related Works:

Motion picture adaptation of: Judgement in stone [by Rendell, R.]

Related Series:

Criterion collection; [volume] 1199

Subjects:

Criminal psychology — Drama

Rich people — Drama

Household employees — Drama

Noncitizens — France — Drama

Illiterate persons — Drama

Female friendship — Drama

Betrayal — Drama

Murder — Drama

Brittany (France) — Drama

Betrayal

Criminal psychology

Female friendship

Household employees

Illiterate persons

Murder

Noncitizens

Rich people

France

France — Brittany

Friendships

Homosociality

Women's friendships

Genres:

Motion pictures

Crime films

Drama

Feature films

Fiction films

Film adaptations

Thrillers (Motion pictures)

Video recordings for the hearing impaired

System Details:

Blu-ray; region A; DTS-HD master audio 2.0 surround.

Performers:

Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Virginie Ledoyen, Valentin Merlet.

Production Credits:

Music, Matthieu Chabrol ; cinematographer, Bernard Zitzermann ; editor, Monique Fardoulis ; costume designer, Corinne Jorry.

General Notes:

English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH)
Based on the novel "A judgement in stone" by Ruth Rendell.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1995.
Wide screen (1.66:1)
"New 4K digital restoration"--Container.
Accompanying booklet contains an essay by Sarah Weinman.
Bonus features: Selected-scene commentary featuring director Claude Chabrol -- Bong Joon Ho (an interview with the filmmaker in which he pays tribute to Chabrol) -- Making-of featurette -- Isabelle Huppert and Claude Chabrol: crossed portraits (a 1998 French television program in which the 2 collaborators discuss the bond they have) -- Sandrine Bonnaire (2020 interview) -- Caroline Eliacheff (the co-writer shares her thoughts on true-crime stories) -- Offscreen: sound in La cérémonie (episode of the Criterion Channel series Observations on Film Art with Prof. Jeff Smith) -- Trailer.

Audience:

Not rated.

Physical Description:

1 videodisc (111 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 folded insert (12 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 17 cm).

Physical Characteristics:

4 3/4 in.; polychrome

Audio Characteristics:

digital; optical; surround; DTS-HD master audio 2.0; sound

Film Characteristics:

1.66:1; wide screen

Digital Characteristics:

video file; Blu-ray; region A

Call Numbers:

CER 1995 BLU

ISBNs:

9798886070828

Other Standard Numbers:

Universal Product Code: 715515289719
Publisher Number, The Criterion Collection: CC3505BD

OCLC Numbers:

1399446206