We Are All Murderers

The story

Originally titled Nous Sommes Tout des Assassins, We Are All Murderers was directed by Andre Cayette, a former lawyer who detested France's execution system. Charles Spaak's screenplay makes no attempt to launder the four principal characters (Marcel Mouloudji, Raymond Pellegrin, Antoinine Balpetre, Julien Verdeir): never mind the motivations, these are all hardened murderers. Still, the film condemns the sadistic ritual through which these four men are brought to the guillotine. In France, the policy is to never tell the condemned man when the execution will occur--and then to show up without warning and drag the victim kicking and screaming to his doom, without any opportunity to make peace with himself or his Maker. By the end of this harrowing film, the audience feels as dehumanized as the four "protagonists." We Are All Murderers was roundly roasted by the French law enforcement establishment, but it won a special jury prize at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival.

Cast

M Marcel MouloudjiRené Le Guen R Raymond PellegrinGino Bollini A Antoine BalpêtréDr. Albert Dutoit J Julien VerdierBauchet C Claude LayduPhilippe Arnaud G Georges PoujoulyMichel Le Guen J Jacqueline PierreuxYvonne Le Guen (version française) L Lucien NatL'avocat général L Louis ArbessierL'avocat du tribunal pour enfants R René BlancardAlbert Pichon L Léonce CorneLe colonel instructeur H Henri CrémieuxL'avocat de Bauchet

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J Jean DaurandGirard, l'homme dans la cabine téléphonique Y Yvonne de BrayLa chiffonnière G Guy DecombleUn inspecteur M Monette DinayLa femme de Charles Y Yvette EtiévantL'épouse de Bauchet J Juliette FaberFrancine Saulnier P Paul FaivreBiribi A Anouk FerjacAgnès P Paul FrankeurLéon R Renée GardèsLa mère Le Guen J Jérôme GoulvenNoblet J Jean-Pierre GrenierDocteur Detouche (version française) E Elisabeth HardyLa mère de la petite fille F François JouxSaulnier A Alinda KristensenLa femme suédoise B Benoîte Labb C Charles LemontierLe procureur R Roland LesaffreLe détenu-coiffeur L Liliane MaignéRachel D Daniel MendailleUn gardien E Eliane MonceauL'amie de Dutoit J Jacques MorelCharles J Jean-Paul MoulinotLe directeur de la Santé A Amedeo NazzariDocteur Detouche (version italienne) L Line NoroMadame Arnaud M Marcel PérèsMalingré A André ReybazLe père Simon A Alexandre RignaultLe gendarme Y Yvonne SansonYvonne Le Guen (version italienne) L Louis SeignerL'abbé Roussard S Solange SicardLa mère d'Agnès S SylvieLaetitia Bollini G Georges TabetLe pianiste J Jean-Marc TennbergFredo A André ValmyP'tit Louis F François VibertMaître Mousset H Henri VilbertMr. Arnaud E Edmond ArdissonUn garde (uncredited) D Doudou BabetUn taulard (uncredited) F Frédéric BardUn taulard (uncredited) P Paul BargeLe chauffeur (uncredited) R René BerthierUn monsieur (uncredited) C Charles BouillaudL'agent (uncredited)