Thérèse Desqueyroux

infobox Book |
name =
title_orig = Thérèse Desqueyroux
translator =


image_caption =
author = François Mauriac
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = France
language = French
series =
genre = Novel
publisher =
pub_date = 1927
english_pub_date = 1928
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages =
isbn = NA
preceded_by =
followed_by = Infobox Film
name = Thérèse Desqueyroux


image_size = 235px
caption = A poster by Franciszek Starowieyski for a film "Thérèse Desqueyroux" published in Poland at the time of the film first release.
director = Georges Franju
producer = Eugène Lépicier
writer = François Mauriac (novel /script)
Claude Mauriac
Georges Franju
narrator =
starring = Emmanuelle Riva
Philippe Noiret
music = Maurice Jarre
cinematography = Raymond Heil Christian Matras
editing = Gilbert Natot
distributor = 20th Century Fox (Fr.)
released = 1962
runtime = 109 min.
country = France
language = French
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:113211
imdb_id = 0056581

"Thérèse Desqueyroux" is a 1927 novel by François Mauriac.

In 1962 it was made into a French movie directed by Georges Franju, and scripted by him with François and Claude Mauriac. It stars Emmanuelle Riva and Philippe Noiret. Riva won the Volpi Cup for best actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance.

Plot

Thérèse is living in a provincial town, unhappily married to Bernard, a dull, pompous man whose only interest is preserving his family name and property. They live in an isolated country mansion surrounded by servants. Early in her marriage her only comforts are her fondness for Bernard's pine-tree forest, which was her primary reason for marrying him, and her love for her sister-in-law and Bernard's half-sister, Anne. On Thérèse's honeymoon, she slipped away from Bernard's bed to throw away a letter from Anne in which Anne expressed her love for Jean, a Jewish student. Later, when Jean leaves Anne, Thérèse feels a sense of satisfaction and relief. However, Anne soon leaves. Desperately lonely and trapped, Thérèse accidentally learns that an increase in Bernard's medication makes him ill. While Anne nurses Thérèse's unwanted baby, Thérèse begins to experiment, taking advantage of his hypochondria and forgetfulness. Eventually she tries to poison him with arsenic, but the dose isn't fatal. Thérèse's forged prescriptions are then discovered. Thérèse is arrested, but Bernard refuses to press charges. She is acquitted when Bernard perjures himself for her at the trial and her politically influential father bribes a court official. On the way back to the country estate, she tries to think of an explanation to offer to Bernard. Unable to give Bernard a proper explanation, she allows Bernard to place her in a prison of his own devising. He locks her in a bedroom and allows her only cigarettes and wine, as she slowly wastes away. Much later, he frees her for a party at which the family gathers to meet Anne's new husband, and their friends are shocked at her sickly appearance and deterioration. Bernard then moves her to Paris. Still hoping to learn the motives for her crime, he listens to further explanations, but he cannot understand.The movie recounts in flashback the circumstances that led to her being charged with poisoning her husband.

External links

*imdb title|0056581|Thérèse Desqueyroux