Death Rite

For other uses, see Funeral.

Death Rite
French theatrical release poster
Directed by	Claude Chabrol
Screenplay by	Claude Chabrol Paul Gégauff
Based on	Initiation au meurtre by Frédéric Dard
Produced by	Tarak Ben Ammar Jean Boujnah Tablouti Temini
Starring	Franco Nero Jean Rochefort Stefania Sandrelli Gert Fröbe
Cinematography	Jean Rabier
Edited by	Monique Fardoulis
Production companies	Carthago Films S.a.r.l. Maran Film Mondial Televisione Film
Distributed by	S.N. Prodis
Release date	12 May 1976 (1976-05-12)
Running time	94 minutes
Countries	France Italy West Germany
Language	French

Death Rite (French: Les Magiciens) is a 1976 psychological thriller film co-written and directed by Claude Chabrol, and based on the novel Initiation au meurtre by Frédéric Dard.

Plot

At a luxury hotel in Djerba, Tunisia, psychic magician Vestar (Fröbe) meets the dark Edouard (Rochefort). Heading to the hotel, Vestar has a vision of a woman being murdered in the desert. Edouard, a member of the leisure class, decides to use his influence to make the dream become a reality. Also staying at the resort are Sadry, returning (Nero) who has come home to visit his dying mother, and his annoying wife Sylvia (Sandrelli). Also there is Martine (von Weitershausen), an ex-lover of Sadry who would like to get back together with him. The marriage is further strained when Sylvia finds the two of them together. It appears that the prophesied murder has something to do with Sylvia. Specific details from Vestar's prediction about her death are used by Edouard to make it happen, although in fact his interference alters the results. Sadry comes to terms with her tensions and anger as events build toward the inevitable.

Principal cast

Actor	Role
Franco Nero	Sadry
Stefania Sandrelli	Sylvia
Jean Rochefort	Edouard
Gert Fröbe	Vestar
Gila von Weitershausen	Martine

Reception

The film was a commercial failure, with only 51,682 tickets sold in France.

External links

• Death Rite at IMDb
• Death Rite at AllMovie
• Scene from Death Rite on YouTube