Search
What's Hot
Day-by-Day Fall Schedule
Celebs With Their Pets
Shows We Lost This Season
Idol Runner-Up Takes Pay Cut?

Landru

1962, Movie, NR, 114 mins

Landru: Review

starstarstarstar
An inconsistent black comedy, this film is based on the exploits of French mass murderer Henri-Desire Landru, who romanced, swindled, and then dismembered at least 10 women during WW I. Denner coldly plays the balding, bearded villain who places ads in the lonely hearts section of a newspaper to find his victims. He picks out profitable targets--women in their fifties with large fortunes. He then romances them in his villa, cons them into signing over their assets, kills them, dismembers their bodies, and burns them in his incinerator. Denner's reason, however, is not that of a psychotic but of a "responsible" member of the bourgeoisie (a favorite target of Chabrol's). Denner insists that he only kills for the money, which he needs to support his family. The killings become ritualistic, each ending with smoke pouring from his chimney. His killing spree continues through the war until he is recognized by the sister of one of his victims. He is later brought to trial (where he refuses to comment on his guilt or innocence) and, on February 25, 1922, guillotined. Scripted by famed French author Sagan (at age 19 she wrote the critically acclaimed Bonjour Tristesse, which was filmed by Otto Preminger in 1959), LANDRU takes a casual approach to the murderer's legend, concerning itself more with the condemnation of bourgeois ideals than the psychology of crime. This was not the first attempt to bring Landru's escapades to the screen. In 1947, Charles Chaplin released MONSIEUR VERDOUX, a thinly disguised version which was eventually pulled from distribution. (Dubbed in English.) leave a comment
Are You Watching?
Landru
Loading ...
Advertisement

Our Partners

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. American Idol
  2. NCIS
  3. Big Bang Theory
  4. Voice
  5. Person of Interest
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Jessica Simpson
  2. Khloe Kardashian
  3. Kate Middleton
  4. Maria Menounos
  5. Kim Kardashian
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. Men In Black 3
  2. Avengers
  3. Battleship
  4. The Dictator
  5. Dark Shadows
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. The Bachelorette
  2. Revenge
  3. Keeping Up With the Kardashian...
  4. The Bachelorette
  5. Days of our Lives
more top videos