La Bête Humaine
Performance & Direction: La Bête Humaine Review
Last updated: January 31, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is La Bête Humaine (1938) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 7.1/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Drama is often anchored by its ensemble, and La Bête Humaine features a noteworthy lineup led by Jean Gabin . Supported by the likes of Simone Simon and Fernand Ledoux , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: La Bête Humaine
Quick Plot Summary: La Bête Humaine is a Drama, Romance, Thriller film that explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Ending Explained: La Bête Humaine
Ending Breakdown: La Bête Humaine resolves its central conflict while maintaining thematic consistency. The finale has been praised for its approach to drama resolution.
The final reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes with clear resolution of its central conflicts, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Main characters complete meaningful transformations, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the drama themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of La Bête Humaine reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch La Bête Humaine?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Top Cast: La Bête Humaine
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Where to Watch La Bête Humaine Online?
Streaming Hub📺 Stream on
Criterion Channel🎟️ Rent on
Apple TV Store🏷️ Buy on
Apple TV StoreLa Bête Humaine Parents Guide & Age Rating
1938 AdvisoryWondering about La Bête Humaine age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of La Bête Humaine is 98 minutes (1h 38m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 7.1/10, and global performance metrics, La Bête Humaine is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 1938 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Bête Humaine worth watching?
La Bête Humaine is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 7.1/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find La Bête Humaine parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for La Bête Humaine identifies it as Not Rated. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of La Bête Humaine?
The total duration of La Bête Humaine is 98 minutes, which is approximately 1h 38m long.
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Critic Reviews for La Bête Humaine
I have to be honest and say that I was quite underwhelmed by this. Whilst Jean Renoir has certainly produced a beautifully gritty film that evokes a genuine sense of how life on the French Chemin de fer might have been in the late 1930s', this left me feeling that a great deal had been lost between the book and the screen... "Roubeau" is a forty something railway conductor who has a much, much younger wife. When he discovers that she has had an affair with her godfather, he forces her to arrange a meeting on his (moving) train and kills him. Whilst not actually witnessed by fellow railway worker "Jacques Lantier" (another strong performance from Jean Gabin); he saw them leave the compartment and he covers for them at the subsequent enquiry - he, too has fallen for her! Though there are doubtless some enthralling scenes - particularly as he and his femme fatale; a rather insipid looking Simone Simon find their relationship become truly toxic; the story just doesn't quite catch fire for me. It's a rather melodramatic interpretation of Zola's novel - and though it is broadly faithful to the book; it lacks much of the nuance and by allowing us to see full on; rather than allow our imagination to drive our feelings about the complex relationships and demons that each of the three principal charters face, it delivers us with some stark characterisations that I didn't appreciate so much; I just didn't really empathise with them in anything like the same way as I did when I read the book. Again, Jospeh Kosma delivers a super score to accompany this; and the cinematography - especially in/around the trains is as authentic as I have seen. A good but not great film.
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This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.









