Featured Audience Ratings

• Saskia D

  
  I thought it was boring..

• familiar s

  
  This was quite a spooky flick. The mystery keeps you guessing even after the movie is over, if you know what I mean. Nevertheless, it's quite entertaining. A little bit of editing would have made it even better.

• danny d

  
  one of the most controversial films of all time, clouzot could have lost his career for some of this films undertones were it not for support from philosophers and other film makers with some influence. the film is marvelous, tangling a very interesting web of sub plots and… More
  one of the most controversial films of all time, clouzot could have lost his career for some of this films undertones were it not for support from philosophers and other film makers with some influence. the film is marvelous, tangling a very interesting web of sub plots and philosophies into a thriller that delivers incredible suspense despite the fact the chaos was delivered more through menacing words than acts of violence. i thought i had the culprit, infamously dubbed "the raven", pegged early on, but clouzot through me a few solid curve balls in the end to leave me doubting until the reveal, which i got wrong. a great thriller and a must see from early french cinema.

• Stella D

  
  superior french thriller made during the nazi occupation. a small town becomes infected by vicious gossip via 'poison pen' letters casting suspicion on everyone; a thinly veiled critique of gestapo tactics that encouraged informers altho it's based on events that… More
  superior french thriller made during the nazi occupation. a small town becomes infected by vicious gossip via 'poison pen' letters casting suspicion on everyone; a thinly veiled critique of gestapo tactics that encouraged informers altho it's based on events that happened in the 20's. banned in france and germany during the war and still powerful.

• Eric B

  
  Perhaps most interesting for being produced during the Nazi occupation of France, Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Le Corbeau" ("The Raven") is chock full of topical secrecy, conspiracy and paranoia. Its themes were controversial enough that Clouzot wasn't able… More
  Perhaps most interesting for being produced during the Nazi occupation of France, Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Le Corbeau" ("The Raven") is chock full of topical secrecy, conspiracy and paranoia. Its themes were controversial enough that Clouzot wasn't able to direct another film until almost four years later. Some wicked person begins sending anonymous, poison-pen letters around a small French town. They are inked in a distinctive style and signed "Le Corbeau." The notes' main target is Dr. Rémy Germain, whose vulnerable spots are his dalliances with women and a willingness to give abortions (a daring ingredient for a 1943 film). At least initially, the slanderous accusations greatly damage his stature in the community. The town becomes more and more agitated as the taunts continue to arrive in mailboxes, and the uproar reaches a frenzy after one note causes a suicide. The tricky script sets up multiple plausible suspects and remains suspenseful, but scene after scene of misplaced suspicions and aghast letter readings threatens to turn repetitive. And the final act is gimmicky to the point of stretching credibility -- suddenly, the reality of this world fades and we're only watching someone's flashy screenplay. Clouzot's direction fails to excite beyond one scene lit by a swinging light bulb -- this is workmanlike storytelling. And unfortunately, the idea of "poison-pen letters" seems a bit dated in this age of email and blogs. Fans hoping for the thrills of "Diabolique" and "The Wages of Fear" may be disappointed.

• Wu C

  
  A little dated now, but a nice early piece by master Clouzot.

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