Themroc, a bachelor house painter living at home with his mother, leads a sad and colorless life. One day, after a run-in with his boss, he rebels. He wrecks his apartment, rejects every facet of bourgeois life, and begins acting like an urban, modern-day Neanderthal.
Acting
Piccoli's wordless descent into primal chaos is genuinely unhinged.
Direction
Faraldo commits fully to the bit, no winking at the audience.
Production
The wall-breaking apartment transformation is low-budget brilliance.
Director
Claude Faraldo
Michel Piccoli
Themroc
Miou-Miou
Neighbor
Béatrice Romand
Themroc’s Sister
Francesca Romana Coluzzi
Neighbor
Jeanne Herviale
Themroc’s Mother
Marilù Tolo
The Secretary
Romain Bouteille
A Worker / The Surprising Boss / The Neighbor / The Cop
Henri Guybet
A worker
Coluche
The young neighbor / A worker / A cop
Patrick Dewaere
The Mason
Jean Aron
Stéphane Bouy
Un ouvrier/Un policier
Madeleine Damien
François Dyrek
Un policier
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Banned in the UK until 1979 and rarely screened since; it remains a cult object for anyone who thinks 'Fight Club' is too commercial.
Michel Piccoli allegedly took the role specifically because it had no dialogue, wanting to challenge himself after decades of talky French cinema.
FR
