Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Knife + Heart (Un Couteau dans le Cœur) is a French gay and lesbian slasher reminiscent of the giallo films popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Most notably, the films of Dario Argento.
Knife + Heart takes place in 1979 Paris. It opens with a young gay porn star, Karl (Bastien Waultier) getting picked up by man in full leather, including a leather face mask. A bird flies past them as Karl follows the man through the club. Later, the man ties Karl to a bed, then pulls a dildo with a retractable blade out of his pants and stabs him repeatedly.
The film then cuts to Anne (Vanessa Paradis), a gay porn film producer, wandering the city at 5am. She calls Loïs (Kate Moran), her film editor and ex-girlfriend, asking her to come and get her. Loïs tells her to get sober and that they’re no longer a couple.
The next day, Anne goes to the studio while they’re shooting a porn scene. Archibald (Nicolas Maury) is directing and trying to get the cast in check. That evening, Anne goes home with Archibald and falls asleep at his place. She dreams of birds and a small building on fire.
Archibald gets a call from the police asking for Anne. Anne goes to the precinct and is questioned about Karl’s death. They also ask about her job, and she tells them she produces gay porn and that Karl worked for her.
Later that day, Anne and Archibald look for a new actor to replace Karl. They find a young man, Nans (Khaled Alouach), who looks surprisingly like one of Anne’s previous stars, Fouad (also played by Khaled Alouach). She casts Nans in her latest film. To impress Loïs, Anne incorporates Karl’s murder into the story, using herself as the killer.
That evening, Anne follows Loïs into a club and watches her from a balcony as one of her actors, Thierry (Félix Maritaud), shoots up heroin in an abandoned car. A black bird flies by Thierry, then the man in the leather mask murders him.
With another actor murdered, Anne’s cast and crew grow increasingly concerned for their safety. And as Anne searches for answers, she uncovers a bigger mystery and possible connection between the murderer and her production company.
Some Thoughts:
Like many giallo films, Knife + Heart is highly stylized, with bright colors and stunning visuals. It takes place in 1979 and has the look and feel of cinema at the time. Director Yann Gonzalez has a vision for what he wants to show, and he does so with precision. This is a beautiful film.
The first murder scene is mesmerizingly graphic and horrifying. This isn’t uncommon for this type of movie, and I was hoping it would carry throughout, but it never did. The lack of graphic deaths doesn’t take away from the film, but I was a bit disappointed when the other murders didn’t match up.
Like many gialli, especially horror, there are moments when the story feels a bit surreal. There was one scene involving a young man with a deformed hand that was a bit too over the top and didn’t seem necessary.
Although Knife + Heart is often erotic, I feel as if the film is a bit neutered. I’m not sure if the choice was thematic or financial, but it did leave me wanting more. And although sex is depicted, I didn’t feel that it went far enough.
The acting overall is fantastic. Paradis plays a tough alcoholic reeling from heartbreak with panache. Knife + Heart hinges on the viewer believing in Anne, and Paradis does not break character once.
The Final Verdict:
If you enjoy gialli, Knife + Heart is a must see. It’s brilliantly crafted, understands its source material, and will meet all expectations. It’s also a fine, stylish thriller that should appeal to a wide audience.
