La femme infidèle / Niewierna żona
1969, 98 min.

special screening following digital restoration

Awards and selections: National Board of Review 1969 – Best Foreign Film
Director: Claude Chabrol
Cast: Michel Bouquet, Stéphane Audran, Maurice Ronet, Michel Duchaussoy, Guy Marly
Country: France, Italy

[IN-PERSON SCREENING]

An (im)perfect marriage

Charles and Hélène lead a comfortable, peaceful life away from the bustle of the city. But when the husband begins to suspect his wife of having an affair, he hires a private detective to uncover the truth. What initially seems like an innocent discovery sets off a chain reaction of jealousy, fear and violence. “The Unfaithful Wife” is a meticulously constructed psychological thriller by Claude Chabrol, in which the cool elegance of the bourgeois world contrasts with mounting tension. In an oppressive atmosphere filled with unspoken truths, the director exposes the fragility of a seemingly perfect relationship and the obsessive need for control.

Claude Chabrol

French director, screenwriter and film critic, and one of the most important figures of the French New Wave. Before turning to filmmaking, he was a critic associated with Cahiers du Cinéma. As one of the movement’s key filmmakers, he became known for his psychological thrillers and incisive portraits of the bourgeoisie. His most important films include “Handsome Serge” (1958), “The Cousins” (1959), “The Unfaithful Wife” (1969), “Le Boucher” (1970) and “The Beast Must Die” (1969).

Tags: infidelity, marriage, jealousy, psychological thriller, bourgeoisie

The “Critics’ Classics” section is organised in cooperation with the French Institute in Warsaw.