Les Biches

Les Biches is a 1968 drama film directed by Claude Chabrol. It depicts a tortured love triangle between characters portrayed by Stéphane Audran and Jacqueline Sassard; Jean-Louis Trintignant also stars. Audran won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 18th Berlin International Film Festival. The film had a total of 627,164 admissions in France. While the film does not acknowledge any literary sources, Les Biches is loosely based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, with the main characters' genders being switched. Chabrol's screenwriter Paul Gégauff had previously adapted the novel into Purple Noon in 1960. Plot On the Pont des Arts in Paris, a rich and beautiful woman, Frédérique, picks up a penniless female street artist called Why. Frédérique seduces Why and takes her to her villa in Saint Tropez. The villa is occupied by two gay friends of Frédérique, Robegue and Riasis. At a party, Why meets an architect, Paul Thomas. She leaves the party with him. They are followed by Robegue and Riasis, acting on Frédérique's orders. They watch as Paul sleeps with Why. Frédérique visits Paul and sets out to seduce him. The two start having an affair. Frédérique invites Paul to move into the villa, kicking out Robegue and Riasis. One morning Why finds a note saying that Paul and Frédérique have gone to Paris. She follows them and goes to Frédérique's apartment. Discovering Frédérique alone, Why confesses to being jealous of both Frédérique and Paul. Frédérique tells Why she finds her love repulsive, and Why stabs her with a poisoned dagger. Why calls Paul, pretending to be Frédérique, and invites him to the apartment. When he arrives Why is waiting for him dressed in Frédérique's clothes.