Rated R
104 minutes
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LSC Classics Presents:
La Fleur du Mal (The Flower of Evil) (2003)
February 11, 2005 at 7:30 and 10:30pm in 10-250.
In La Fleur du Mal, Claude Chabrol once again takes on the
themes of guilt and redemption. Set in the
Bordeaux region, the film centers on the intricate
and complex family relations of the
Charpin-Vasseurs, a wealthy bourgeois
family. François loves Michèle, his
beautiful cousin who is also his step-sister, and
perhaps, his real sister. Anne,
Michèles mother, is running for mayor
to the dismay of her philandering husband
Gérard, who owns the local pharmacy. The
incestuous affair seems to be the only innocent
relationship. The family is plagued by hate,
cheating, bitterness, egoism, and death. In
addition, the Charpin-Vasseurs carry the heavy
burden of having a grandfather who collaborated
with the Nazis and who may have been murdered by
Aunt Line. This secret haunts the family as
malicious flyers exposing the familys past
are distributed all over town. Nevertheless, Anne
wins the election
but a tragedy strikes the
family once more - another crime is committed.
La Fleur du Mal is a satire of the bourgeoisie
- Anne with her twin-set, pearl necklace, silk
scarf, high-pitched voice and great expectations,
is irresistible. [facecouncil.org]
This program was made possible with the support of the Cultural
Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture.
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