Jeanne Moreau (Jules et Jim) stars as the titular bride, who after marrying her love sees him murdered on the steps outside the church. From here she enacts her ruthless revenge on the group of men responsible. Undoubtedly an influence on Kill Bill, François Truffaut’s The Bride Wore Black was itself influenced by the master of suspense. Adapting celebrated crime writer Cornell Woolrich (here credited as William Irish and who was also the author of the short story Hitchcock’s Rear Window is based on) Truffaut’s film is a deliciously entertaining tale that was one of the director’s biggest hits. Alongside Moreau, the film boasts a sensational cast, including Michael Lonsdale, Jean-Claude Brialy, Charles Denner and Michel Bouquet among others, and features a score by the maestro, Bernard Herrmann (Psycho).
Technical Specifications
Supplements
- Archival interview with François Truffaut
- Archival interview with Jeanne Moreau
- Appreciation by filmmaker Kent Jones (Hitchcock/Truffaut) (2023)
- Barry Forshaw on Cornell Woolrich and the adaptation (2023)
- Original trailer
- Les surmenés (Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, 1957, 21 mins) - an early short written by Truffaut and starring Jean-Claude Brialy
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by Emmanuel Burdeau, archival writing by François Truffaut and Jeanne Moreau, and a contemporary article on the film by Penelope Houston