The new limited mediabook of the film “The Infernal Trio” (German title: “Trio Infernal“) by director Francis Girod with the German theatrical version, which has been rescanned in 4K and restored in full HD for the first time, is currently available for pre-order. It will be released as part of the Édition ParaSol Videothèque on UCM.ONE‘s Artkeim² label in cooperation with moviemax on May 27, 2022 – and thus 2 days before the 40th anniversary of Romy Schneider‘s death.
Synopsis
Marseille 1931: Philomene Schmidt (Romy Schneider), a beautiful young German who works as a nurse for an old woman, finds herself on the street after her death. But when the self-absorbed and extremely unscrupulous lawyer Georges Sarret (Michel Piccoli) enters the lives of Philomene and her sister Catherine (Mascha Gonska), everything changes.
The young women not only become Sarret’s mistresses, but also his accomplices in numerous insurance scams. He arranges for the two to meet wealthy older men who disappear without a trace or suddenly die soon after the wedding. The “The Infernal Trio” then collects the high insurance sums that their victims have previously taken out for their deaths with their wives as beneficiaries…
“The Infernal Triol” depicts the bizarre story of a murderous tercet, brilliantly cast with Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider and Mascha Gonska. In this film, Romy Schneider once again proves why her former film partner Jean-Louis Trintignant called her “the most erotic woman I know.” She presents herself as reprehensible and irresistible at the same time.
The soundtrack to the film was composed by none other than Ennio Morricone (“Play Me the Song of Death,” “Death Melody,” “Fear Over the City“, “The Professional,” “Frantic“, “The Untouchables“).
Released in 1974, “The Infernal Trio” is a provocative drama about greed and selfishness. With drastic depictions, relentlessly direct acting and egoistically acting characters, this flick fulfills all the requirements of a scandalous film. The sometimes bizarre plot of the murderous trio specializing in insurance fraud is based on true events, namely the case of the murderer Georges-Alexandre Sarrejani. He was executed in Aix-en-Provence on April 10, 1934.
Comments about the movie
“Certainly interesting and brave in its day, today a rather tedious endeavor in parts, following a trio of money-grubbing ragheads and getting tangled up in slapstick. Watching Michel Piccoli and Romy Schneider at work, however, still makes for good entertainment.” (moviebreak.com)
“The production is film-historically interesting and worth seeing, it documents Romy Schneider’s efforts to say goodbye to the hated Sissi image with radical films and drastic roles – which she succeeded in doing with lasting effect.” (Filmreporter.de)
“Stylishly staged erotic horror” (kino-zeit.de / Marie Anderson)
“Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider and Mascha Gonska as a trio from hell who go murdering through France and dissolve the corpses of their victims in sulfuric acid. This lurid satire, with arguably Ennio Morricone’s funniest musical composition, was the scandal film of 1974.” (vivasvanpictures.wordpress.com)
“The film is a drastic delight, akin to the big grub. Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider and Mascha Gonska, who took the role originally planned for Uschi Glas, visibly had fun with this farce.” (verfuehrungzumfilm.wixsite.com)
“It is primarily the personalities of the actors that make Trio Infernal a success. The material itself tends toward the guignol, but even the most horrific scenes gain a certain detachment from the style Piccoli and Schneider give them.” (rogerebert.com)
“This in parts starkly naturalistic horror piece is far from parody or satire: an icily staged game of blood and disgust, violence and multiple perversions that only begins to be a serious reflection of modern life and social mechanisms.” (Dictionary of International Film)
“Through incisive character sketches, directorial debutant Francis Girod (“The Banker’s Wife”) manages a furious tightrope walk between macabre realism and bitterly wicked irony with his magnificently appointed horror piece. Alongside the irresistible Michel Piccoli, a disinhibited and unleashed Romy Schneider shines in the role of the unscrupulous, life-hungry luxury woman, who here finally clears up her “Sissi” image, shocked “Sissi” fans and was celebrated by the French press as the “charming monster”.” (prisma-online)
Technical Datas
Limited Mediabook | Theatrical version for the first time in 4K resampled and restored in full HD + long version restored in full HD | Aspect ratio Blu-Ray: WS 1.66:1 / 1080p 24; Aspect ratio DVD: WS 1. 66:1 (anamorphic) | Total running time Blu-Ray 101 min (German theatrical version) & 105 min (long version); Total running time DVD 101 min (long version) | Sound formats Blu-Ray: German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (mono), French DTS-HD Master Audio 2. 0 (mono); Sound formats DVD: German DD 2.0 (mono); French DD 2.0 (mono) | Subtitles: German | Bonus material: German SUPER 8 version, 32-page booklet with texts by publicist & media scientist Stefan Jung, graduate theater scientist Lars Johansen, director, editor and acting lecturer Andreas Ullrich, original trailer, German trailer, artwork gallery | Rating: FSK 18
More information about the movie: The Infernal Trio
More Information about the film label: Artkeim²
