It's no holds barred for Julian in pursuit of upward mobility. Although expected to channel career aspirations into the Church of the post-Napoleonic era, his intensely romantic liaisons propel him forward at a pace he cannot control.
Acting
Gérard Philipe's smoldering, self-destructive Julien is pure magnetism.
Cinematography
Sumptuous 19th-century interiors that dwarf the characters beautifully.
Costume
Crisp military reds versus austere church blacks—visual storytelling.
Director
Claude Autant-Lara
Gérard Philipe
Julien Sorel
Danielle Darrieux
Mrs. de Rénal
Antonella Lualdi
Mathilde de La Mole
Jean Mercure
Marquis de La Mole
Antoine Balpêtré
Abbot Pirard
André Brunot
Abbot Chélan
Anna Maria Sandri
Elisa
Jean Martinelli
Mr. de Rénal
Gérard Séty
Lieutenant Liéven
Robert Berri
Groom of Croisenoix
Alexandre Rignault
Father Sorel
Jacques Varennes
President of the tribunal
Georges Descrières
Mr. de Croisenois
Mirko Ellis
Norbert de La Mole
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gérard Philipe was so physically fragile during filming that crew members worried he wouldn't survive the grueling schedule—eerily mirroring Julien's own fragility.
Stendahl's novel was considered so scandalous that it wasn't fully published in France until decades after his death; Autant-Lara's adaptation finally unleashed its full romantic chaos onscreen.
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