In the village of Tremolat, Périgord, the lonely headmistress Helene (Stéphane Audran) befriends the local butcher Popaul (Jean Yanne), who has a trauma of war, in the wedding party of her colleague Leon Hamel (Mario Beccara). In spite of their friendship, they do not become lovers since Helene is still recovering from the disillusion of her last relationship. In Popaul's birthday, Helene gives a lighter to him as a gift. During the excursion with her class to a cave in the woods, Helene finds the last victim of a serial killer that is stabbing young women in the area. She realizes that the woman is Leon's wife and she finds Popaul's lighter in the crime scene but she hides the evidence from the police. When Popaul visits her, she discovers that he still has the lighter and she feels relieved. However, when Popaul paints the ceiling of her house, she makes a discovery that affects her sense of security.<br /><br />The unknown gem "Le Boucher" is a dark and intriguing love story where Claude Chabrol is certainly inspired in Alfred Hitchcock's style. The story is completely unusual and very simple, it is not tagged by an specific genre and can be resumed in the storyline; however, the screenplay, direction, performances and camera make the difference. The opening scene shows a beautiful area in the countryside of France where the plot takes place. Helene is a fascinating character with her contradictory and ambiguous behavior and relationship with Popaul. Their chemistry is also perfect. My vote is eight.<br /><br />Title (Brazil): Not Applicable