dreadful music, disappointing ending, otherwise perfect

Illogical, confusing, senseless, abstruse... this film is the opposite of what you would normally want to see. It's also one of Chabrol's best films in terms of immersing the viewer. It's only once you stop looking for meaning or trying to understand, that you can appreciate the film's hypnotic, mesmerising mood and dreamlike narrative. There are hints, fragments of meaning within, but the real enjoyment is in observing Chabrol at work, playing his games with the actors and sets at his disposal.