By GRACE DETWILER
Starring Jacques Perrin, Julien Guiomar, Eva Simonet
Written and Directed by Paul Vecchiali
Altered Innocence
Featuring an antagonist who is perhaps the most sympathetic killer ever put to film, Paul Vecchiali’s THE STRANGLER (L’étrangleur, 1970) explores the disturbingly tender bond between the titular Émile and his melancholic victims. A self-described empath who cannot stand the feeling of sadness, Émile (Jacques Perrin) uses a signature white knit scarf to gently squeeze the life out of the depressive women he encounters on his nightly walks.
An underappreciated cinematic talent, Vecchiali – who passed away earlier this year – was a French director/producer/critic known for his experimental arthouse cinema that centered on emotional intensity, queer themes, and unusual individuals. THE STRANGLER is unconventional at every turn and provides an incredibly compelling example of Vecchiali’s hyper-stylized filmmaking. In THE STRANGLER, Vecchiali uses the serial killer narrative as a lens through which to illuminate the loneliness, sadness and directionlessness experienced by his archetypal characters.
However, the true protagonist of THE STRANGLER is one such woman named Anna (Eva Simonet) who hears of Émile’s crimes and fears she is an intended future victim. After approaching the detective assigned to the case, L’inspecteur Simon Dangret (Julien Guiomar), she demands to be used as bait to lure Émile in. Meanwhile, Émile laments that his perfect crime scenes were tainted by a pick-pocket who follows him from victim to victim, stealing their jewels and painting ‘The Strangler’ as nothing more than a petty thief.
Anna’s motives are the true question at the heart of THE STRANGLER, a serial killer film that reveals its killer’s identity almost immediately. Throughout THE STRANGLER, the audience is left wondering whether Anna truly desires to help catch Émile, or if she has other reasons for wanting to get close to him. Switching between following Anna, Dangret and Émile, THE STRANGLER uses unique, subjective filmmaking techniques that draw the audience into the mind of each character while simultaneously holding them at a distance.
The 2K Restoration courtesy of Altered Innocense brings the beauty of Vecchiali’s gauzy shot-on-film Giallo to theaters across the nation later this week. The colors and textures of THE STRANGLER are restored to pristine condition and make the gently-paced thriller nearly impossible to look away from. Even the tears in the eyes of Émile’s willing victims sparkle through the screen. Check out a screening in a city near you if love Giallo, French New Wave or serial killer thrillers.
View theatrical dates and release information from Altered Innocence here.
