We Are All Murderers

We Are All Murderers

117 mins | Drama, Crime | May 21, 1952

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.

We Are All Murderers

117 mins | Drama, Crime | May 21, 1952

We Are All Murderers
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.
IMDb rating 7.2
Producers Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC), Jolly Film, Labor Film
Original title Nous sommes tous des assassins
Directors Pierre Léaud, André Cayatte
Writers Charles Spaak, André Cayatte

Cast

Marcel Mouloudji

as René Le Guen

Raymond Pellegrin

as Gino Bollini

Antoine Balpêtré

as Dr. Albert Dutoit

Julien Verdier

as Bauchet

Claude Laydu

as Philippe Arnaud

Georges Poujouly

as Michel Le Guen

Jacqueline Pierreux

as Yvonne Le Guen (version française)

Lucien Nat

as L'avocat général

Louis Arbessier

as L'avocat du tribunal pour enfants

René Blancard

as Albert Pichon

Léonce Corne

as Le colonel instructeur

Henri Crémieux

as L'avocat de Bauchet

Jean Daurand

as Girard, l'homme dans la cabine téléphonique

Yvonne de Bray

as La chiffonnière

Guy Decomble

as Un inspecteur

Monette Dinay

as La femme de Charles

Yvette Etiévant

as L'épouse de Bauchet

Juliette Faber

as Francine Saulnier

Paul Faivre

as Biribi

Anouk Ferjac

as Agnès

Paul Frankeur

as Léon

Renée Gardès

as La mère Le Guen

Jérôme Goulven

as Noblet

Jean-Pierre Grenier

as Docteur Detouche (version française)

Elisabeth Hardy

as La mère de la petite fille

François Joux

as Saulnier

Alinda Kristensen

as La femme suédoise

Charles Lemontier

as Le procureur

Roland Lesaffre

as Le détenu-coiffeur

Liliane Maigné

as Rachel

Daniel Mendaille

as Un gardien

Eliane Monceau

as L'amie de Dutoit

Jacques Morel

as Charles

Jean-Paul Moulinot

as Le directeur de la Santé

Amedeo Nazzari

as Docteur Detouche (version italienne)

Line Noro

as Madame Arnaud

Marcel Pérès

as Malingré

André Reybaz

as Le père Simon

Alexandre Rignault

as Le gendarme

Yvonne Sanson

as Yvonne Le Guen (version italienne)

Louis Seigner

as L'abbé Roussard

Solange Sicard

as La mère d'Agnès

Sylvie

as Laetitia Bollini

Georges Tabet

as Le pianiste

André Valmy

as P'tit Louis

François Vibert

as Maître Mousset

Henri Vilbert

as Mr. Arnaud

Edmond Ardisson

as Un garde (uncredited)

Doudou Babet

as Un taulard (uncredited)

Frédéric Bard

as Un taulard (uncredited)

Paul Barge

as Le chauffeur (uncredited)

René Berthier

as Un monsieur (uncredited)

Charles Bouillaud

as L'agent (uncredited)