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The Bride Wore Black (La mariée était en noir)

Movie · 1968 · 4 people

François Truffaut directed The Bride Wore Black (French: La mariée était en noir), a 1968 Franco-Italian psychological thriller. Mixing crime, mystery and film noir into a single revenge story, it is among Truffaut's most openly Hitchcockian films and is widely counted among the best of its kind. Jeanne Moreau's portrayal of the title character is what the picture is remembered for.

Julie Kohler (Jeanne Moreau) loses her husband on her wedding day and sets out to settle accounts with each of the five men responsible. The cast includes Jean-Claude Brialy (Corey), Michel Bouquet (Coral) and Michael Lonsdale (René Morane); also on the list are Charles Denner, Claude Rich, Daniel Boulanger and Alexandra Stewart. Throughout, Julie wears only black, white or a blend of the two.

The script, co-written by Truffaut and Jean-Louis Richard, adapts a 1940 novel by Cornell Woolrich, published as William Irish. Truffaut was then deep in his interview book with Hitchcock, and he hired Bernard Herrmann, a frequent Hitchcock collaborator, to compose the music. Pierre Cardin designed the costumes. Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica produced it, and it runs about 107 minutes. A 1971 Turkish remake, Melek mi, Şeytan mı?, followed, and the film is often compared with Tarantino's Kill Bill.

DirectorFrançois Truffaut
Production companyDino De Laurentiis Cinematografica

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Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau Film actor · died at 89 Jean-Claude Brialy Jean-Claude Brialy Stage actor · died at 74 Michael Lonsdale Michael Lonsdale Actor · died at 89 Alexandra Stewart Alexandra Stewart Film actor · 87 years old

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Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

Say revenge story and I'm in, and The Bride Wore Black delivers cleanly: Julie, who lost her husband on her wedding day, sets out to settle accounts with the five men responsible, one by one. Because the structure moves almost chapter by chapter, every new target freshens the suspense. It's easy to see why it gets compared with Kill Bill. That said, if you're used to today's pace, the scenes run a bit slow; this is a suspense film, not a fight film.

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

There's a reason it is called Truffaut's most openly Hitchcockian film: made while he was deep in his interview book with Hitchcock, it carries that link almost like a signature through the music of Bernard Herrmann, the master's frequent collaborator. The script, adapted from Cornell Woolrich, sets revenge on a structure built on repetition, each section bringing a new man and a new tone. What truly holds the film up is Jeanne Moreau's resolute, cold, almost unreadable presence. Julie wearing only black, white or a blend of the two becomes a visual motif through Pierre Cardin's costumes. The weakness is the inevitable unevenness of that episodic design: some of the reckonings are noticeably flatter than others, and at times the film takes on the air of a masterly exercise.

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

The Bride Wore Black is a revenge film: a woman who loses her husband on her wedding day goes after the five men she holds responsible. By its nature it is dark and tense, so it is not for children. Older teenagers can watch it, but it is better with an adult around. For grown-ups who enjoy older films and suspense, it makes a good evening. I wouldn't put it on for a big family get-together, though.

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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