Blood of the Beasts (1949) - Review and Analysis by Jason Pitt for Critical-Film.com

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Blood of the Beasts (Le Sang des betes) (1949) A film review by Jason Pitt For Critical-film.com   “Blood of the Beasts” is a short documentary, produced in 1949, and shot in glorious black and white, which documents what occurs in the slaughterhouses of Paris . Director George Franju made the decision to shoot in B&W, so as to not horrify the audience with the events that occur onscreen throughout the 22 minute film. His intention was to create a film which affected the viewer aesthetically, not physically. After watching the film, I do believe that if I were to see the film in full color, I wouldn't be able to handle it.   In full detail, the slaughter of horses, cows, calves, and finally sheep are all depicted on screen. We are witness to some very difficult to watch sequences involving everything from the murder of the animals through the use of a few different weapons, depending on the animal, to the removal of organs, and skin, etc. It is a rough 22 minutes. Yet all of this horror is juxtaposed against the relatively simple life of those living in a small Paris suburb, and shots of children playing. It's terribly effective.   Franju intended to create a film that truthfully depicts the horrors which lie under each seemingly peaceful community. The world is filled with terrible/violent occurrences, whether we see it or not. The events that occur within the slaughterhouse being contrasted against very normal footage is a very effective way to punctuate the theme of the film. Franju believed that truth is beauty, which may be true in some context; however there is nothing beautiful about the films subject matter. It does look phenomenal for a short documentary produced in 1949. There are some great shots throughout the documentary, and it's obvious why Franju went on to feature films, as it's obvious he has a passion for film, and puts his heart into every frame.   “Blood of the Beasts” is available as a special feature on the Criterion DVD release of Franju's “Eyes without a Face”. I suggest anyone interested in the director's work see it, as it is an experience – not necessarily an enjoyable experience, but it is probably unlike anything you've seen before. “Eyes without a Face” is worth the cost of the disc alone, so consider it a freebie. Obviously the film depicts some serious violence to animals, so weak stomachs would be well advised to stick to reruns of “The Care Bears”.   (Four Stars)   This review was provided in HTML format, as your browser is not capable of displaying flash content. To experience Critical-Film.com the way it was meant to be seen, please download the flash player from <a href="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&promoid=BIOW">Macromedia</a>.