La bête [1975]

Country of Origin: France
Year of Production: 1975
Running Times: 98 mins
Format: Eastmancolor     16mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Argos Film
Producer: Anatole Dauman
Production Manager: Dominique Duvergé

SCRIPT
Script: Walerian Borowczyk

DIRECTION
Director: Walerian Borowczyk
Assistant Director: Christiane Regnault

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Bernard Daillencourt, Marcel Grignon
Camera Operator: Noël Véry
Chief Electrician: Serge Boiron
Photographer: Gérard Wurtz

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Walerian Borowczyk
Assistant Editors: Florence Bory, Alain Cayrade, Florence Dauman, Claude Delon, Jean-Pierre Platel, Monique Prim, Michel Valio

MUSIC
Music: Domenico Scarlatti

SOUND
Sound Recordists: Jean-Pierre Ruh, Michel Laurent
Sound Re-Recordists: Alex Pront, Jean Duguet

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Odette Berroyer
Costumes: Piet Bolscher

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Jacques D'Ovidio
Set Decorator: Alain Guillé

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistants: Alain Cayrade, Claude Delon, Michel Valio, Jean-Pierre Platel, Monique Prim, Florence Bory, Florence Dauman
Chief Machinist: Robert Atellian

CAST
Sirpa Lane [Romilda de l'Esperance]
Lisbeth Hummel [Lucy Broadhurst]
Elisabeth Kaza [Virginia Broadhurst]
Pierre Benedetti [Mathurin de l'Esperance]
Guy Tréjan [Pierre, Marquis de l'Esperance]
Dalio (real name: Marcel Dalio) [Rommondelo, Duc De Balo]
Roland Armontel [Priest]
Pascale Rivault [Clarisse de l'Esperance]
Jean Martinelli [Cardinal Joseph de Balo]
Robert Capia [Roberto Capia]
Hassan Falle [Ifany]
Marie Testanière [Marie]
Stéphane Testanière [Stéphane]
Anna Baldaccini
Mathieu Rivolier
Thierry Bourdon
Julien Hanany

SUMMARY

The head of a fading French family is delighted when he finds a beautiful and wealthy young woman, Romilda, to marry his son. But when Romilda is sent into the countryside to visit the man's family, she finds that her dreams of a huge, rapacious monster are portents of things to come...

AVAILABILITY

Australia
Theatrical Distributors: Cincetta

Brazil
Video Distributors: Sagres Filmes

France
Theatrical Distributors: Argos Films
DVD Distributors: Gaumont / Columbia TriStar Home Video

Italy
Video Distributors: GVR Video

Sweden
Video Distributors: DMEG AB

UK
Video Distributors: Noveaux Pictures [NP0042]
DVD Distributors: Noveaux Pictures [NPD1007]

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Jason Allyn; Threat Theatre
DVD Distributors: CAV Distribution; Cult Epics [008]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: R

France
Rating: -16

Netherlands
Rating: 18

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: X

TIMELINE

1975
August
20: France - theatrical release

2001
May
4: UK - theatrical release

November
19: UK - DVD release [Noveaux Pictures [NPD1007]]
27: USA - DVD release [Cult Epics [008]]

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

The Beast - UK / US title
The Beast in Heat
Bestia - Polish title
La bestia - Italian / Spanish title
Das Biest - West German title
Death's Ecstacy
O Monstro - Portuguese title
Pedon vallassa - Finnish title
Peto - Finnish title

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Absolu no.15 [October 1975] p.8 [France]
review [by Conéma: La bête by François Jouffa]

Paris Las Vegas no.7 [1975] pp.16-17 [Belgium]
review

Playboy no.10 [October 1975] p.11 [France]
interview [Deux belles pour une bête by André Halimi]

Ultra Violent no.7 [2005] pp.83-84 [USA]
review [by Heather Drain]

KEYWORDS

animals, bestiality, curses, fairy tales, masturbation, pregnancy, rape, sex, sodomy, surrealism

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007