A Judgement in Stone ( La cérémonie ) ( Blutiger Engel (Biester) )

A Judgement in Stone (Blu-Ray) (*)

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Original Title: La cérémonie
Alternate Title: Blutiger Engel (Biester)
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Ceasar Awards
Toronto International Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Dolby Digital Stereo )
French ( Dolby Linear PCM )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( Blu-Ray/Region B )

Running Time:
111 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1995 and produced in:
France ( France, Benelux )
Germany ( Germany, Central Europe )

Directed By:
Claude Chabrol

Written By:
Ruth Rendell
Claude Chabrol

Actors:
Isabelle Huppert ..... Jeanne
Sandrine Bonnaire ..... Sophie
Jean-Pierre Cassel ..... Georges Lelievre
Jacqueline Bisset ..... Catherine Lelievre
Virginie Ledoyen ..... Melinda
Valentin Merlet ..... Gilles
Julien Rochefort ..... Jeremie
Dominique Frot ..... Madame Lantier
Jean-François Perrier ..... Priest
Ludovic Brillant
Claire Chiron
Claire-Marie Dentraygues
Jean-Pierre Descheix
Penny Fairclough
Alain Françoise

Synopsis:

The upper-class owner of a gallery, Catherine Lelievre, hires the efficient and quiet maid Sophie to work in the family manor in the French countryside. Her husband Georges Lelievre, who is an opera lover, her daughter Melinda and her teenage son Gilles welcome Sophie and appreciate her work. Sophie soon befriends the postmistress Jeanne, who is a bad egg and encourages Sophie to rebel against her employers, but the maid stays submissive. However, Sophie is ashamed of a secret and feels uncomfortable in many situations, finding a way to hide her secret. When Georges tells Sophie that he does not want Jeanne in his house, Sophie stands up to him. Melinda discovers her secret and Sophie blackmails her, but Melinda tells her parents what happened. Georges fires Sophie and she returns to the house later with Jeanne on the rampage.

In La Ceremonie, Claude Chabrol, known as the "French Hitchcock," creates one of his most shocking and unforgettable thrillers. Catherine (Jacqueline Bisset) hires the illiterate Sophie as her maid. But Sophie soon falls under the influence of the mysterious Jeanne (Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Player, Merci Pour Le Chocolate), and the stage is set for a tale of murder, violence, and betrayal. One of Chabrol's most acclaimed films, and winner of numerous international awards, La Ceremonie is a masterpiece of suspense.

Sophie, a quiet and shy maid working for the upper-class family Lelievre, hides her illiteracy under the cloak of a perfect household and obedience. She finds a friend in the energetic and uncompromising postmaster Jeanne, who encourages her to stand up against her bourgeois employers. Things start to escalate as the Lelievres find out that Sophie can't read and has brought Jeanne into their house against their wish.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 21 October, 2012.

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