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Scene of the Crime

Scene of the Crime (Le Lieu du crime)

Movie · 1986 · 9 people

André Téchiné directed Scene of the Crime (Le Lieu du crime), a 1986 French drama of 90 minutes produced by Antenne 2. Although the title promises a crime story, the film leans on family psychology rather than suspense; its real subject is repression and personal freedom. It was selected for the competition programme of the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.

The story follows a crumbling family in rural France whose fragile balance is finally broken when a fugitive turns up among them. A 13-year-old boy is caught between two kinds of people: those who accept the stifling quiet of bourgeois life, and those who rank their passions and freedom above comfort, even if that means breaking the law. Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Wadeck Stanczak and Victor Lanoux play the leads, with Claire Nebout, Jacques Nolot, Jean Bousquet, Jean-Claude Adelin and Philippe Landoulsi completing the cast.

Téchiné wrote the screenplay with Pascal Bonitzer and Olivier Assayas. Danielle Darrieux was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1987 for her performance.

DirectorAndré Téchiné
Production companyAntenne 2

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Cast

Only cast members with a profile on this site are listed.

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Deneuve Film actor · 83 years old Victor Lanoux Victor Lanoux Film actor · died at 80 Danielle Darrieux Wadeck Stanczak Claire Nebout Jacques Nolot Jean Bousquet Jean-Claude Adelin Philippe Landoulsi

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Through different eyes

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

The title promises a thriller, but suspense isn't André Téchiné's concern; Le Lieu du crime is really a study in family psychology. Having Pascal Bonitzer and Olivier Assayas on the screenplay shows in the care given to the characters. A fugitive turning up in a crumbling rural family becomes a catalyst that brings repressed desires to the surface. Catherine Deneuve is restrained and effective, and Danielle Darrieux's César-nominated performance carries weight even in small moments. The weak spot is the gap between genre expectation and the film itself: within its 90 minutes the line of tension sometimes slackens, and the crime ends up feeling like a pretext.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

Anyone expecting a crime story from the title may be disappointed; this is more of a heavy family drama. There is a fugitive and people willing to break the law, and adult themes dominate. Even though a 13-year-old boy is at the centre, it isn't a film for children. It works for teenagers and adults. It will leave a family with plenty to talk about afterwards.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Téchiné reads a family coming apart in rural France through the tension between two ways of living: those who accept the stifling quiet of bourgeois life, and those who put their passions and freedom ahead of comfort. Placing a 13-year-old boy between these two worlds turns the film into a question of generations and choices. The real subject is repression and personal freedom; the crime is a device that exposes the cracks in the order. It is an interesting example of how a mid-1980s French film looked at the family, although the message is sometimes spelled out too plainly.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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