Thérèse Raquin

Thérèse Raquin (1928)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Marriage Drama  |   Release Date - Nov 4, 1928 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 90 min.  |   Countries - Germany, France  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

Jacques Feyder's 1928 adaptation of Emile Zola's Therese Raquin was also released in Germany as Du Sollst Nicht Ehe Brechen and in the U.S. as Shadows of Fear. Produced in Berlin, with Gina Manes in the title role, the film is regarded by many cineastes as Feyder's best effort. The director perfectly captured the bourgeois stuffiness of the Raquin household and the unspoken passions of the faithless Therese, who despises her small-minded husband and wishes him dead. In concert with her lover, Therese arranges for Raquin to "accidentally" drown in a boating accident. Subsequently, Therese marries her paramour, but their union is forever blighted by the memory of their horrible deed. Upon stumbling onto the truth, Therese's mother is shocked into muteness, but the couple knows that she knows. And in the end, it is the mother who is the sole and silent witness to the couple's downfall.

Characteristics

Keywords

betrayal, boredom, extramarital-affair, guilt, hatred, love, murder

Attributes

High Artistic Quality, High Historical Importance