be the butcher a thriller . yes . be it a psychological drama . yes . be it an idyllic small town romance . yes . be it a horror film . yes . can all of these description coexist . yes . the butcher be indeed all of those thing . it a film that deal with the great and most puzzling and and most disturbing mystery of humanity and but it also a small and simple film with a style so subtle it sometimes appear to be no style at all . chabrol french contemporary be know for their flair for their attention grab camera work and edit . hitchcock be know for his stylish set piece . but chabrol have an amazing knack for convince u that be not watch a stylish film . the color scheme and the manipulation of light and and the stifling edit be as meticulous a in a hitchcock film and or a truffaut film and but be at the same time nearly invisible . his direction be heavily stylize but appear nearly accidental . chabrol manage to transform picnic and schoolhouse and cobblestone street into a landscape that be horrify for it lack of apparent horror and for it incongruity with the horror be commit . the butcher be also the story of two people who have adapt and in their own way and to modern society . an uneducated and old fashion male war veteran adapts by become a killing machine and and an educate and stylish woman adapts by become a cold narcissist . both be apparently function and normal human being until they meet each other . but and when they meet each other and their neurosis come into the foreground represent his animalistic passion and her ultra civilized coolness nearly destroy each other . some viewer say that the woman be the monster and some say it be the man . it be the man who commit truly monstrous act and but it be the woman who and by way of her repressed attraction to such a monstrous man and set his gear turn . the schoolteacher never could have foresee the effect she would have on the butcher and but she be still responsible and and that be what be terrify . the butcher and however and be not a masterpiece because of it cynicism while it a masterpiece because it manage to be cynical while have utmost respect for it character . it a great film because of the way it explore how hard it character try and how pathetically they fail . it a horror film about how impossible it can be for people to change .