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We Are All Murderers (1952)

We Are All Murderers (1952)

Drama Crime
Release Date: 1952, May 21
Directors: André Cayatte
Countries: France, Italy
Production: Jolly Film, Jolly Film, UGC Films, UGC Films, Labor Film, Labor Film, Labor Film
Cast: Alexandre Rignault, Line Noro, René Blancard, Roland Lesaffre, Guy Decomble, Raymond Pellegrin, René Berthier, Paul Barge, Anouk Ferjac, Doudou Babet, Julien Verdier, Yvette Etiévant

Overview:

Originally titled Nous Sommes Tout des Assassins, We Are All Murderers was directed by Andre Cayette, a former lawyer who detested France's execution system. Charles Spaak's screenplay makes no attempt to launder the four principal characters (Marcel Mouloudji, Raymond Pellegrin, Antoinine Balpetre, Julien Verdeir): never mind the motivations, these are all hardened murderers. Still, the film condemns the sadistic ritual through which these four men are brought to the guillotine. In France, the policy is to never tell the condemned man when the execution will occur--and then to show up without warning and drag the victim kicking and screaming to his doom, without any opportunity to make peace with himself or his Maker. By the end of this harrowing film, the audience feels as dehumanized as the four "protagonists." We Are All Murderers was roundly roasted by the French law enforcement establishment, but it won a special jury prize at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival.

Keywords:

capital punishment social critique