Name That French Film!

August 16, 2009 4:43 PM

I'm restarting my Netflix queue, and I can't remember the name of a movie I'd like to see again. A car speeds through a small town on the French coast, hits a small child and drives away before anyone can see what happened.

I think the plot consists of the child's mother or father trying to track down the killer without any luck. All I can remember is that opening scene of the car driving through the coastal landscape, and nothing else.

Thanks!

posted by foxy_hedgehog to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

Someone else's happiness? (a Belgian Oscar contribution not long ago): "A tranquil view of the woods near the predominantly Dutch-speaking burg of Noville is ruptured by the sound of a thump and a moving car, followed by a quick glimpse of a boy crawling on the pavement and into what sounds like water."
posted by effbot at 5:11 PM on August 16, 2009

Response by poster: Hmmm....here's the thing : I think it's an older movie, like maybe late 1960s. Definitely in color, though.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:11 PM on August 16, 2009

Best answer: This Man Must Die? ("Que la bête meure," 1969) A man's 9-yr-old son is killed by a reckless driver and he vows revenge. Don't know about the opening scene, though.
posted by mmw at 5:49 PM on August 16, 2009 [1 favorite]

Don't know if this is it or not, but check out Wages Of Fear (Le Salaire de la peur). It is the original 1952 b&w movie starring Yves Montand. There may have been a remake in the 60s in color.
posted by garnetgirl at 5:54 PM on August 16, 2009

Various scenes (including the accident) here.
posted by effbot at 5:57 PM on August 16, 2009

Response by poster: Yes! Claude Chabrol, This Man Must Die. Thank you, all -- and I added "Wages of Fear" to my queue.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 6:02 PM on August 16, 2009

Wages of Fear is one of my favorite movies. It's so intense. Hope you like it!
posted by meta87 at 6:07 PM on August 16, 2009

Oops - I think mmw is correct - Que la bête meure

I copied the wrong row on my movie list! Sorry!
posted by garnetgirl at 6:20 PM on August 16, 2009

You may also want to add Sorcerer, the 1977 remake of Wages of Fear starring Roy Scheider. It always struck me as being on a par with Wages of Fear
posted by Cats' Concert at 8:25 PM on August 16, 2009

Response by poster: Hey, thanks, Cats!
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:43 PM on August 17, 2009