Salacious accusations swirl as a series of venemous letters circulates through a small French town—all signed with the nom-de-plume “Le Corbeau” (The Raven). The primary target of the letters, Dr. Rémy Germain (Pierre Fresnay), struggles to deduce the identity of the anonymous rumormonger before the town destroys itself. Made during the Occupation, Le Corbeau was attacked by not only the Vichy right, but the left-leaning Resistance and the Catholic Church, and was even banned altogether after the Liberation. It took the public support of respected artists like Jean Cocteau and Jean-Paul Sartre to reinvigorate Clouzot’s name after the war. Le Corbeau is a fascinating depiction of small-town paranoia and how quickly and easily dangerous gossip can spread once a single person lights the match.
Presented in a new 75th anniversary 4K DCP, courtesy of Rialto Pictures.
