Franju’s French film is being re-released in all its lushly sinister black-and-white glory, and not a moment too soon. Hollywood, never too up on the nuances of fear and trepidation, could learn a lot from this tale of deranged surgeon (Brasseur) and his obsession to restore the mutilated face of his beloved daughter (Scob), who lost her own visage to a car accident while he was behind the wheel. His solution? Steal the faces of others, cut ’n’ paste, et, voilá: plastic surgery disasters! The film is flawless, with a chilly, penny-dreadful feel that arches up and over itself to become a waking nightmare splashed in all the colors of the dark across the screen. Unforgettable and unnerving, it sticks in your mind like a bloody icicle, souring your dreams but ravishingly gorgeous nonetheless.
This article appears in January 23 • 2004.