History Film / MonsieurVerdoux

* AssholeVictim: Lydia Floray may not be an asshole as such, but she's certainly not portrayed very positively. To be fair, neither are the other rich ladies we see Verdoux target (Annabella Bonheur and Marie Grosnay), but Lydia is by far the least likeable of the lot, and significantly the only one he actually kills in the film (offscreen).

* ChekhovsGun: The family of a woman killed by Verdou promise early on in the film that they'd recognize Verdoux anywhere. Sure enough, a chance to identify turns up[[spoiler:at the climax of the movie]].

* AssholeVictim: Lydia Floray may not be an asshole as such, but she's certainly not portrayed very positively. To be fair, neither are the other rich ladies Verdoux targets (Annabella Bonheur and Marie Grosnay), but Lydia is by far the least likeable of the lot, and significantly the only one he kills in the film (offscreen).

* ChekhovsGun: The family of the first woman to be killed by Verdoux in the movie promise that they'd recognize Verdoux anywhere. Sure enough, a chance to identify turns up [[spoiler:at the climax of the movie]].

* SpitTake: Verdoux delivers an epic one when he realizes [[spoiler: one of his wives is present at his wedding to another woman.]]

* AssholeVictim: Lydia Floray may not be an asshole as such, but she's certainly not portrayed very positively. To be fair, neither are the other rich ladies Verdoux targets (Annabella Bonheur and Marie Grosnay), but Lydia is by far the least likeable of the lot, and significantly the only one he kills (offscreen).

* AssholeVictim: Annabella Bonheur may not be an asshole as such, but she's certainly not portrayed very positively.
** Actually, none of the rich ladies we see Verdoux target are portrayed very sympathetically, least of all Lydia Floray, the only one he actually kills in the movie (albeit out of camera range).

* MercyKill: Possibly. Check the [[YMMV]].

* MercyKill: Possibly. There is something in the sad way that Verdoux reveals to the Girl about "losing" his wife and child, and insisting that "they are in a better place" that seems to suggest he may have had a hand in it; he certainly had the means, with the deadly but painless poison at his disposal.

** Actually, none of the rich ladies we see Verdoux target are portrayed very sympathetically, least of all Lydia Floray, the only one we get to see him kill (albeit out of camera range).

The plots come together in the movie's climax. After narrowly escaping capture by a detective hot on his trail, and having a brief encounter with The Girl, where he gives her some money, Verdoux bumps into Madame Grosnay, sends her flowers daily until she relents to see him, and then is more successful at seducing her. The wedding is ruined as a common friend invites Annabella Bonheur; Verdoux spends most of the wedding hiding from her and eventually ends up running away before the marriage can happen. The movie at this point jumps into the future. In the prelude to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, European stock markets crash and Verdoux ends up losing everything. We learn in an aside that his wife and child died during this time (possibly with his "[[MercyKill/assistance]]"). Wandering the street, he bumps into The Girl, now dressed very chic in an expensive car. She treats Verdoux to dinner at an expensive restaurant, explaining that she's had to put her idealism aside to marry a man she doesn't love, but who can afford to take good care of her (being an arms dealer). A couple who had seen a photograph of Verdoux when a relative had left with (and later been killed by) him recognize him and immediately start to tail him. He traps them in a back room of the restaurant to give himself enough time to say goodbye to The Girl. After she departs he tears her card, returns to the restaurant, and hangs about until he is identified and placed under arrest.

The plots come together in the movie's climax. After narrowly escaping capture by a detective hot on his trail, and having a brief encounter with The Girl, where he gives her some money, Verdoux bumps into Madame Grosnay, sends her flowers daily until she relents to see him, and then is more successful at seducing her. The wedding is ruined as a common friend invites Annabella Bonheur; Verdoux spends most of the wedding hiding from her and eventually ends up running away before the marriage can happen. The movie at this point jumps into the future. In the prelude to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, European stock markets crash and Verdoux ends up losing everything. We learn in an aside that his wife and child died during this time (possibly with his "assistance"). Wandering the street, he bumps into The Girl, now dressed very chic in an expensive car. She treats Verdoux to dinner at an expensive restaurant, explaining that she's had to put her idealism aside to marry a man she doesn't love, but who can afford to take good care of her (being an arms dealer). A couple who had seen a photograph of Verdoux when a relative had left with (and later been killed by) him recognize him and immediately start to tail him. He traps them in a back room of the restaurant to give himself enough time to say goodbye to The Girl. After she departs he tears her card, returns to the restaurant, and hangs about until he is identified and placed under arrest.

The plots come together in the movie's climax. After narrowly escaping capture by a detective hot on his trail, and having a brief encounter with The Girl, where he gives her some money, Verdoux bumps into Madame Grosnay, sends her flowers daily until she relents to see him, and then is more successful at seducing her. The wedding is ruined as a common friend invites Annabella Bonheur; Verdoux spends most of the wedding hiding from her and eventually ends up running away before the marriage can happen. The movie at this point jumps into the future. In the prelude to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, European stock markets crash and Verdoux ends up losing everything. We learn in an aside that his wife and child died during this time. Wandering the street, he bumps into The Girl, now dressed very chic in an expensive car. She treats Verdoux to dinner at an expensive restaurant, explaining that she's had to put her idealism aside to marry a man she doesn't love, but who can afford to take good care of her. A couple who had seen a photograph of Verdoux when a relative had left with (and later been killed by) him recognize him and immediately start to tail him. He traps them in a back room of the restaurant to give himself enough time to say goodbye to The Girl. After she departs he tears her card, returns to the restaurant, and hangs about until he is identified and placed under arrest.

The plots come together in the movie's climax. After narrowly escaping capture by a detective hot on his trail, and having a brief encounter with The Girl, where he gives her some money, Verdoux bumps into Madame Grosnay, sends her flowers daily until she relents to see him, and then is more successful at seducing her. The wedding is ruined as a common friend invites Annabella Bonheur; Verdoux spends most of the wedding hiding from her and eventually ends up running away before the marriage can happen. The movie at this point jumps into the future. In the prelude to WorldWarII, European stock markets crash and Verdoux ends up losing everything. We learn in an aside that his wife and child died during this time. Wandering the street, he bumps into The Girl, now dressed very chic in an expensive car. She treats Verdoux to dinner at an expensive restaurant, explaining that she's had to put her idealism aside to marry a man she doesn't love, but who can afford to take good care of her. A couple who had seen a photograph of Verdoux when a relative had left with (and later been killed by) him recognize him and immediately start to tail him. He traps them in a back room of the restaurant to give himself enough time to say goodbye to The Girl. After she departs he tears her card, returns to the restaurant, and hangs about until he is identified and placed under arrest.

Three main plot strands play out over the course of the movie. At the beginning, he meets Marie Grosnay (Isobel Elsom), an elderly widow looking to buy the house he owns. He tries to win her over, but fails miserably. Later, in need of money, he travels to meet the easily excitable Annabella Bonheur (Martha Raye), planning on killing her and stealing her money. Unfortunately, she has just had her fortune read, which shows her to be an incredibly lucky woman. True to the reading, Verdoux's attempts to kill her backfire, nearly killing Verdoux on several occasions. In trying to develop better means to kill, Verdoux develops a poison which should be undetectable by autopsy. To test this theory, he plans to kill a girl off the street and leave her body where it will be found, then wait to see if anything comes up in the autopsy report. The girl he picks (Marilyn Nash), credited only as "[[NoNameGiven The Girl]]", turns out to be charming, and tells the cynical Verdoux that she still believes in love, as she was truly in love once. Verdoux, heart melting, decides at the last possible moment to spare her life, and replaces her poisoned glass of wine with another.

Three main plot strands play out over the course of the movie. At the beginning, he meets Marie Grosnay, an elderly widow looking to buy the house he owns. He tries to win her over, but fails miserably. Later, in need of money, he travels to meet the easily excitable Annabella Bonheur, planning on killing her and stealing her money. Unfortunately, she has just had her fortune read, which shows her to be an incredibly lucky woman. True to the reading, Verdoux's attempts to kill her backfire, nearly killing Verdoux on several occasions. In trying to develop better means to kill, Verdoux develops a poison which should be undetectable by autopsy. To test this theory, he plans to kill a girl off the street and leave her body where it will be found, then wait to see if anything comes up in the autopsy report. The girl he picks (credited in the movie as [[NoNameGiven The Girl]]) turns out to be charming, and tells the cynical Verdoux that she still believes in love, as she was truly in love once. Verdoux, heart melting, decides at the last possible moment to spare her life, and replaces her poisoned glass of wine with another.

A 1947 BlackComedy film written, directed by and starring Creator/CharlieChaplin.

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* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: Henri Verdoux is based on the real-life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9_Landru Henri Désiré Landru]], a French Bluebeard murderer who died 20 years before the film was made.

* PosthumousNarration: opens the movie.

* SerialKiller: Henri Verdoux

Verdoux maintains his cynicism in the ensuing trial and later before his execution, declaring that he will see the Judge, jury and all present "soon - very soon" (i.e., in hell) and "One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero. Numbers sanctify, my good fellow". The movie ends as Verdoux - after having a last drink of rum; initially refusing, he then comments that he's never tried it and proceeds to do so - is lead off to the guillotine.

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* WhatIsEvil: Verdoux denounces society, especially the war machine, in his final words at the trial.

* WhatIsEvil

* TheBluebeard: Henri Verdoux