The Judge and the Assassin (1976)

Amidst the grimy backdrop of 1893 France, we encounter Joseph Bouvier, a former military sergeant, whose love-fueled madness leads to an attempted murder-suicide. Surviving with two bullets in his brain, Bouvier is discharged from the Dole medical facility, a cesspit of physical and psychological decay. Thus begins a five-year odyssey across the South East of France, a chilling journey marked by the brutal rapes and ruthless murders of two dozen unsuspecting shepherds and farmhands, irrespective of gender. On the other side of the scales of justice, we meet Judge Rousseau, an ambitious right-wing politician, who sees in Bouvier's reign of terror a golden opportunity to further his career. He initiates a dragnet, issuing arrest warrants for any vagrant resembling the description of the ruthless killer. However, his political ambitions teeter on the brink of jeopardy as a question arises: if Bouvier is deemed insane, will the Judge's carefully laid plans ensnare him in his own trap? In "The Judge and the Assassin", every corner holds a shadowy secret, every character a motive, and every moment a chilling uncertainty, painting a haunting tableau of a society on the brink.

The Judge and the Assassin is a crime movie featuring Philippe Noiret and directed by Bertrand Tavernier.

The Judge and the Assassin is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.