Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir adapted this story which was written by Zola. There was a train engineer named Jacques. He believed that he was sick because the alcohol abuse of his father and grandfather. He thought that his blood also had the same problem just liked them. During his vocation, he became a witness by chance. His manager Roubaud and his wife Séverine tried to kill Séverine's lover. Jacques didn't tell to the police what he had saw. Skittish Séverine was getting tired of her boring husband, then she was fell in love with Jacques. And Jacques loved her, too. Séverine persuaded Jacques to kill Roubaud, so they could be together. In this conflicting situation, Jacques was exploded! He killed Séverine. And he jumped off a speeding train to his death.
I think this film is talking about the dark side of humanity. Auteur shot this film by a realistically way. We can see the routine of the train engineers in 1938. The dramatic plots took us back into that ages easily. Although "La Béte Humaine" was published in 1938, I think the drama is quit well compare with today's films.
