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.
Cast
Marcel Mouloudji
René Le GuenRaymond Pellegrin
Gino BolliniAntoine Balpêtré
Dr. Albert DutoitJulien Verdier
BauchetClaude Laydu
Philippe ArnaudGeorges Poujouly
Michel Le GuenJacqueline Pierreux
Yvonne Le Guen (version française)Lucien Nat
L'avocat généralLouis Arbessier
L'avocat du tribunal pour enfantsRené Blancard
Albert PichonLéonce Corne
Le colonel instructeurHenri Crémieux
L'avocat de BauchetJean Daurand
Girard, l'homme dans la cabine téléphoniqueYvonne de Bray
La chiffonnièreGuy Decomble
Un inspecteurMonette Dinay
La femme de CharlesJuliette Faber
Francine SaulnierPaul Faivre
BiribiAnouk Ferjac
AgnèsPaul Frankeur
LéonJérôme Goulven
NobletElisabeth Hardy
La mère de la petite filleFrançois Joux
SaulnierCharles Lemontier
Le procureurRoland Lesaffre
Le détenu-coiffeurDaniel Mendaille
Un gardienJacques Morel
CharlesJean-Paul Moulinot
Le directeur de la SantéAmedeo Nazzari
Docteur Detouche (version italienne)Line Noro
Madame ArnaudMarcel Pérès
MalingréAlexandre Rignault
Le gendarmeYvonne Sanson
Yvonne Le Guen (version italienne)Louis Seigner
L'abbé RoussardSylvie
Laetitia BolliniJean-Marc Tennberg
FredoAndré Valmy
P'tit LouisFrançois Vibert
Maître MoussetHenri Vilbert
Mr. ArnaudEdmond Ardisson
Un garde (uncredited)Paul Barge
Le chauffeur (uncredited)René Berthier
Un monsieur (uncredited)Charles Bouillaud
L'agent (uncredited)