Two French film noirs: Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher

Course Dates: 22/03/25 - 29/03/25
Time: 10:30 - 13:00
Location: Online
Tutors: 
Jon Wisbey
Two French film noirs from two masters of the style - and the most acclaimed films of each director's body of work: Henri- Georges Clouzot's mystery thriller, Les Diaboliques (1955), and Claude Chabrol's icy, intense psychological drama, Le Boucher (1970). Explore the contrasting styles of Clouzot's genre movie and Chabrol's art film, their critical reputations and enduring appeal for audiences.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
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Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00

Two French film noirs: Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher
  • Course Code: HF241
  • Dates: 22/03/25 - 29/03/25
  • Time: 10:30 - 13:00
  • Taught: Sat, Daytime
  • Duration: 2 sessions (over 2 weeks)
  • Location: Online
  • Tutor: Jon Wisbey

Course Code: HF241

Sat, day, 22 Mar - 29 Mar '25

Duration: 2 sessions (over 2 weeks)

Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.

What is the course about?

This online film studies course considers two French film noirs, noting the 'social noir' of Les Diaboliques and the 'psychological noir' of Le Boucher, and the contrasting styles of the films - Les Diaboliques being very much a genre piece, and Le Boucher exhibiting the formal characteristics of the art cinema of the period, We will be looking at a selection of key scenes from each of the films and thinking about, among other things, the ways in which each makes use of environment as a key element in their production designs - though to quite different effect. We will also be thinking about the films as auteurist works - that is, as films marked by their directors' signature styles and creative presence - along with the films' critical reputations.

The first session will focus on Les Diaboliques, the second, Le Boucher. This course may be of particular interest if you are taking the 5 week course on British and French film noir earlier in the term, though this weekend course does not assume that you will have done so.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone can be used if you don't have a computer but please note the experience may be less optimal.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

• Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher and film noir
• Genre and popular cinema
• Classical film style and art film style
• The use of environment and setting in Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher
• Critical accounts of Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher
• Critical accounts of Henri-Georges Clouzot and Claude Chabrol.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Evaluate Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher as films noir
• Evaluate genre and popular cinema in relation to Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher
• Describe classical film style and art film style in relation to Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher
• Describe the of the use of environment in Les Diaboliques and Le Boucher
• Evaluate a range of critical accounts of the films
• Evaluate the critical reputaions of George Clouzot and Claude Chabrol.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for film and discussing film. The course will provide an introduction to the subject but will also be useful for those wishing to build on existing knowledge in the subject area.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Screenings of extracts from films, talks by the tutor, reading materials, small and large group discussions. It might also be a good idea to see what you can find out about the subject in advance of the class, but this is not essential.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts. The tutor will show extracts from films and you do not have to obtain them.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Look for other Film Studies courses on our website, www.citylit.ac.uk under History, Culture and Writing/Film Studies.

Jon Wisbey

Jon Wisbey teaches film at City Lit and Morley College. He was for many years a committee member and vice-chair of Chelmsford Film Club, screening contemporary and classic world cinema releases. He has an MA in Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. His teaching focuses on classical and post-classical Hollywood, European cinema, British cinema, film noir and horror cinema.

Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.