Fritz Lang's Human Desire is based off the novel La Bête humaine by Émile Zola. However, it is frequently overshadowed by Jean Renoir's adaption of the same name. That film starred Jean Gabin as a railway worker who witnesses a co-worker force his unfaithful wife to kill the man that she cheated with. The woman in turn falls in love with Gabin and tries to convince him to murder her abusive and controlling husband. The film is considered a classic of French cinema. And yet, I like Fritz Lang's version more. While Renoir set his version in the realms of reality with naturalistic performances, Lang sets his film squarely in the world of film noir. Lang's film is a dark, sinister work that bares the inner motivations and vices of its characters. It elevates this human story into the realm of high drama.
8/10
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