The Judge and the Assassin (1976)
The Judge and the Assassin (1976), directed by Bertrand Tavernier, starring Philippe Noiret and Michel Galabru.
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Synopsis
France, 1893. Joseph Bouvier attempts to shoot his love who refused to marry him and to commit suicide. Upon release from the filthy asylum where he was placed, with bullets still remaining in his head, he wanders the country roads and rapes and murders many teenagers over years. The judge Rousseau captures him, but to serve his ambition seeks to avoid that Bouvier is simply declared insane.
- Pierre-William GlennCinematography
- Bertrand TavernierDirector, Writer
- Armand PsennyEditing
- Raymond DanonProducer
About the film
The Judge and the Assassin (French: Le Juge et l'assassin) is a 1976 French drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier that stars Philippe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert, Michel Galabru, and Jean-Claude Brialy. Set in France in the 1890s, it shows the capture after a trail of rapes and murders of a possibly deranged ex-soldier, based on the historical Joseph Vacher, and how he is befriended by an ambitious judge who leads him into incriminating himself. The film won two César Awards in 1977.
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The Judge and the Assassin (French: Le Juge et l'assassin) is a 1976 French drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier that stars Philippe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert, Michel Galabru, and Jean-Claude Brialy. Set in France in the 1890s, it shows the capture after a trail of rapes and murders of a possibly deranged ex-soldier, based on the historical Joseph Vacher, and how he is befriended by an ambitious judge who leads him into incriminating himself. The film won two César Awards in 1977.
Plot
Ex-sergeant Bouvier, expelled from the army for fits of violence, shoots at Louise when she rejects him and then puts his last two bullets in his own head. The pair survive, and he is shut away in an asylum. Rejecting civil society on his release, he wanders the countryside raping and murdering isolated teenage children. His crimes are followed closely by Rousseau, a provincial judge, and when Bouvier enters his jurisdiction he is arrested. Pretending to be his friend who will get him off on a plea of insanity, Rousseau humours his whims and encourages him to incriminate himself. In fact, Rousseau is seeking personal glory and career advancement. When Bouvier is condemned, Rousseau's working-class mistress Rose joins the strikers in the town factory. A postscript notes that hundreds more children died in factories than Bouvier's few highly-publicised victims.
Selected cast
Philippe Noiret as Judge Rousseau
Michel Galabru as Joseph Bouvier
Isabelle Huppert as Rose, Rousseau's mistress
Jean-Claude Brialy as public prosecutor Villedieu
Renée Faure as Rousseau's mother
Cécile Vassort as Louise, courted by Bouvier
Jean-Roger Caussimon as a street singer
Jean Bretonnière as a parliamentary deputy
Daniel Russo as jailer
Christine Pascal (uncredited) as a striker
See also
Isabelle Huppert on screen and stage
References
External links
The Judge and the Assassin at IMDb
Text from The Judge and the Assassin on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Judge_and_the_Assassin
Trivia
- It premiered on March 10, 1976, a Wednesday.
- It runs 2h08 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "Le Juge et l'Assassin".
- This film's quiz has 12 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosLira Films, FR3, SFP
- CountriesFrance
- LanguagesFrench, Vietnamese
- StatusReleased
Cast
-
Philippe Noiret
Juge Rousseau -
Michel Galabru
Joseph Bouvier -
Isabelle Huppert
Rose -
Jean-Claude Brialy
Avocat Villedieu -
Renée Faure
Mme Rousseau -
Cécile Vassort
Louise Leseuer -
Jean-Roger Caussimon
Chanteur de rue -
Jean Bretonnière
Le député -
François Dyrek
Le cheminot libéré -
Monique Chaumette
La mère de Louise -
Yves Robert
Professeur Degueldre -
Jean Amos
Le gardien-chef - Gilbert Bahon Un roulant
-
Arlette Bonnard
La fermière à la soupe -
Liza Braconnier
La religieuse de l'hôpital -
Jean-Claude de Goros
Dr. Dufour -
Yvon Lec
Le supérieur mariste -
Jean-Pierre Leroux
Radeuf -
René Morard
Un roulant - Bob Morel L'Âne Rouge
Quiz about this movie
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O Passado
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6.3
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6.5
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Saint Omer
6.2
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Brutalidade
7.3
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O Dossiê Pelicano
6.6
Tags
Crew
- Pierre-William Glenn Cinematography
- Bertrand Tavernier Director
- Armand Psenny Editing
- Raymond Danon Producer
- Philippe Sarde Original music
- Bertrand Tavernier Writer
- Jean Aurenche Writer
- Pierre Bost Writer
Questions about this film
What is The Judge and the Assassin about?
The Judge and the Assassin: France, 1893. Joseph Bouvier attempts to shoot his love who refused to marry him and to commit suicide. Upon release from the filthy asylum where he was placed, with bullets still remaining in his head, he wanders the country roads and rapes and murders many teenagers over years. The judge Rousseau captures him, but t…
Who directed The Judge and the Assassin?
The Judge and the Assassin was directed by Bertrand Tavernier in 1976.
Who stars in The Judge and the Assassin?
The cast of The Judge and the Assassin includes Philippe Noiret, Michel Galabru, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Claude Brialy and Renée Faure.
How long is The Judge and the Assassin?
The Judge and the Assassin runs for 128 minutes, or 2h08.
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Page updated on 09/14/2026.
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