when this film be make and despite the fact that freud theory be under attack and the film maker and claude chabrol and make a firm statement about what happen when a child love for his mother be repress by a father hostility . in the opening sequence and a wedding and it be establish and briefly and that paul ( the butcher ) have a dark and unresolved relationship with his father and one that cause him to join the army and result in his have see very little of his cherished mother . when the film begin and paul and helene meet and start a friendship that have promise of a relationship . but helene unwillingness to become paul or anyone lover and because of the pain she endure from a previous relationship and stifle a budding romance . contrary to turn off paul and this rejection seem to entice him . he can trust this woman because she be logical and a word that turn up frequently when the two main character describe how they run their life . this logic though be not the one we commonly embrace and it be a logic of dark inevitability . paul and whose father seem to brutally punish him for his son aggressiveness ( and unconsciously for the boy possessiveness of his mother ) and have adjust to reality by live within the confines of a control in his life that prevent accident or passion from take place . he be and in effect and grateful that helene be not give him what he want . like his desire for his mother still lurk in his unconscious and his desire for helene be always present and because helene have reject him and like his mother have do and helene have create a relationship a close to his mother a possible . it be very logical . the thriller aspect of this film which be about a serial killer find it manifestations not in the easy and lurid horror technique of too many thriller but in the horror of what go on within each of the character the horror of closeness and a closeness that each fear might kill them . the killing be merely an outward symbol for the internal murder that be go on within each character . the character who and for year and have be kill themselves emotionally by their repressed desire reach and in this film and a dark emotional catharsis that make them aware of how their repressed desire have ruin their life .