Ophélia
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Claude Chabrol
Alida Valli
Claude Cerval
André Jocelyn
Juliette Mayniel
Robert Burnier
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Yvan, the outlandish son of the Lesurf family, is obsessed with his father's death and his mother's sudden marriage to his uncle, Adrien. He takes pleasure in subjecting the latter to scorn and sarcasm in the family mansion, which Adrien has placed under guard to prevent attacks by strikers from the Lesurf factory. Lucie, whose father, André, presides over the family estate, is Yvan's only consolation, in spite of her father's disapproval of him. While watching Laurence Olivier's film of Hamlet at a nearby theater, it occurs to Yvan that his situation is similar to that of Hamlet. Pretending insanity, Yvan intensifies his taunting of Adrien and his mother, Claudia. He sets out to make a film about a couple who poison the unwitting husband; Ginette the barmaid, his friend François, and a happy-go-lucky gravedigger play the roles. At the gala family showing of the film, Adrien and his mother become upset, as Yvan had intended. In desperation, Adrien tries unsuccessfully to murder Yvan but poisons himself instead. As he dies, Adrien explains that he has taken the poison because he was forced to believe that he was guilty, although he insists that neither he nor Claudia have done anything wrong. Feeling guilty himself, Yvan turns for consolation to Lucie, who assures him that he is not the Prince of Denmark, but Yvan Lesurf.
Director
Claude Chabrol
Cast
Alida Valli
Claude Cerval
André Jocelyn
Juliette Mayniel
Robert Burnier
Jean-louis Maury
Sacha Briquet
Liliane David
Pierre Vernier
Serge Bento
Roger Carel
Laszlo Szabo
Henri Attal
Dominique Zardi
Jean-marie Arnoux
Crew
Claude Chabrol
Francis Cognani
Jacques Gaillard
André Girard
Pierre Jansen
Jean Lavie
Alain Levent
Jean-claude Marchetti
Martial Matthieu
Jean Rabier
Paul Seban
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Location scenes filmed at Villepreux (Yvelines). Opened in Paris in February 1963; running times: 105 min. and 102 min. Martial Matthieu is a pseudonym for Paul Gégauff in this film; Chabrol uses the name in The Third Lover, q. v.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1974
b&w
9000 feet
subtitled
Released in United States 1974
