The Judge and the Assassin

In 1890s France, Judge Rousseau (Philippe Noiret) captures Joseph Bouvier (Michel Galabru), a possibly deranged ex-soldier with a trail of rapes and murders, and befriends him to incriminate himself and advance his career. As the investigation unfolds, Bouvier's crimes are juxtaposed with the harsh realities of poverty and exploitation in France at the time, particularly through the character of Rose (Isabelle Huppert), Rousseau's working-class mistress who joins a striking workforce.