animals

I think he really killed them. Pierre Blaise was one of a number of untrained young actors Louis Malle used in his films and had grown up in rural France (perhaps in a farming family? can't remember), so this way of life was second nature to him. Philip French's book "Malle on Malle" is an excellent source on this film among others. I vaguely remember a story Malle tells about the scene where Lucien catches the chicken and karate-chops its head off, about how you can see the camera do a jump as the head flies towards the cameraman... I don't expect it would be tolerated nowadays (but then look at Lars von Trier), but in France in the mid-'70s I shouldn't think many people batted an eyelid. And of course, chickens and rabbits and hares were and are killed to be eaten in rural communities - it's not as if Lucien was torturing cats - the horse might be presumed to have died accidentally (I can't remember exactly what happens, though do remember Lucien's sorrow at the horse's death), and as for the bird I can't tell if that was real or not. I'd have to watch it again. If it was, Pierre Blaise must have been a good shot.

If you're shocked by the death of animals in the film making process, then what exactly do you suppose the actors ate during filming?

I think it's time to admit that the majority of 'animal rights activists' aren't representative of anyone but a lunatic fringe.

I would have liked to know about the animals. For the movie, especially for the character, I understand it, but not the reality -- why really kill a songbird for a movie ... and what happened to the Great Dane at the massacre of the couple? He seemed quite unwell the way he was breathing, and I can only hope he was not harmed in the making of this film.

Again, the cruelty shown by Lucien to animals goes with the film, but it happening in reality is not acceptable -- just like people being tortured in reality for the movie would be unacceptable.

As for the poster who doesn't seem to understand why people would have trouble with cruelty towards animals -- many people become vegetarians or reduce their meat intake, both for health reasons and for and humane reasons, in the US, Europe and Asia. Caring about the welfare of animals has little to do with those "lunatic fringe" who protest the killing of an insect!

This is a consistent problem in watching the older foreign films. Maybe I am a hypocrite but I found it profoundly disturbing. At least in tis film it sets the tone for this characters point of view. I thought it was odd that he is described as "an innocent". Corrupted by poverty, war, etc. Malle must have had something in mind to show us this young man who slingshots the sparrow with no apparent emotion. I would say this young man is bringing quite a bit to the party. Wonderful young actor, really able to carry the role of someone so dis likable.