Yeux sans visage, Les (House of Dr. Rasanoff)

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EYES WITHOUT A FACE

The Professor? No, not yet

I'll tell him as soon as he finishes

Man's greatest new hope

is the recapture of physical youth

This hope...

...is afforded by the heterograft

But the heterograft, that is to say

the transplanting...

...of living tissues or organs

from one human being to another...

...has hitherto been possible

only when the two subjects in question...

...demonstrate a perfect

biological compatibility

What we must now do is modify

the organism receiving foreign tissues

One method is to use heavy

radiation bombardment to destroy...

...the antibodies which form

an obstacle to the heterograft

To achieve this end, however,

the intense radiation required...

...is such that the patient

cannot survive

So exsangunination is practised

The patient under radiation

is drained of the last drop of blood

There was a call for you, Professor

The forensic people... you know,

the morgue. You're to go right away

Your paper was a perfect tonic

Thrilling, wasn't it, Carlo?

What a wonderful future you showed us

As to the future, Madame,

we cannot wait that long

He's changed since his daughter

vanished, he makes strange remarks

It's a strange business,

but that's how it looks to me

Gnessier's daughter vanished

from the clinic, her face an open wound

The lack of facial tissue of course

confirms your supposition

The car crash, the facial burns,

then prolonged immersion in water...

And the rats... don't forget the rats

True. Yet the description

of this drowned girl fits Simone Tessot

I asked the Tessot girl's father

to come in... something doesn't sit right

It's odd that the body should have

been naked but for a man's coat

Why should Gnessier's daughter,

disfigured in a car accident...

...feel the need to strip naked

before drowning herself in her despair?

And that vast open wound

in place of a face is odd, too

The edges are so clean

that it might have been done by a scalpel

Here he is

Doctor Lherminier... Inspector Parot,

from the Missing Persons Bureau

I deeply regret the unfortunate

circumstances occasioning this meeting

Please explain

This morning, two bargemen retrieved

the body of a girl from the Seine

The period of immersion tallies

with your daughter's disappearance

The description also tallies -

facial tissue destroyed,

the eyes undamaged

IDENNTIFICATIONN ROOM

It is her

Monsieur Tessot is here, Doctor

Tell him we have an identification.

It is not his daughter

I called him in case...

Yes... of course

Forgive me, Professor...

I'm Henri Tessot

I came about my daughter,

but they tell me she was yours

Are you certain, Professor?

Quite certain?

All too certain, unfortunately

It was such a shock when they called me...

I thought I would go mad

It's ten days since we saw Simone.

Something must have happened to her

Strange that I should have to comfort you,

for whom some hope yet remains

I've simply got to find a room

He gets more and more like his father

as he grows older

Remember old Gnessier, the notary?

He wasn't exactly skinny, either

He doesn't enjoy munch luck, anyway

Lost his wife four years ago,

now his daughter

Paris, fame, fortune...

what does it all add up to?

Who's the young man?

The daughter's fianc, a doctor.

He works with the Professor

- And the woman?

- His "secretary". A foreigner

She looks upset

Go home, my boy

- No, let's leave

- I like things done properly

Let's go. I can't take any more

Be quiet!

For my beloved daughter

Doctor Gressier's residence

No admittance to patients

and their visitors

Where did you find this? I don't like

the way you poke into everything

I haven't the time to explain to you

just now

You see here your name

bordered in black

What are you imagining it means?

I don't have to imagine -

I see, I live horrors

What have you done now?

What had to be done, for your sake

All of it is for your sake

The announcement of a death,

the name substituted...

That girl died after the operation,

you see

I took another risk,

and pretended that it was you who died

Since people think you are dead,

they will not ask questions...

...or try to find out

what is going on here

Christiane... your mask!

You must get into the habit of wearing it

Where have you hidden it?

The habit...

No, no, I only meant the habit

of wearing it until we are successful

Please don't cry, darling

I shall succeed, I promise you

I don't believe that any more

You have no reason to doubt me

I'm a man of distinction, am I not?

You shall have a real face,

I pledge you my word

I'm not allowed mirrors,

but I can see my reflection in the window

If the windows are open,

there are other shiny surfaces...

...the blade of a knife, polished wood

My face frightens me,

my mask terrifies me even more

Have faith, Christiane

Look at me... wasn't he successful

with me?

You had a face, though. Ravaged perhaps,

but not destroyed like mine

He's lying to me, because he knows

it was his fault

His fault? It was a car accident,

pure chance

He always has to dominate,

even on the road. He drove like a demon

I nearly died after the accident.

Why didn't he let me?

I wish I were blind... or dead

Who is this?

Why don't you say something?

Would you like this spare ticket?

My friend hasn't turned up

I'd be delighted,

but I thought of buying a cheaper seat

There's no need to pay for it

Sorry to be late. My class overran

I was so anxious to pass on

the good news. I've found you a room

I can't believe it. I'm so pleased...

how can I ever thank you?

Thank me after you've seen the room,

I think you'll like it

- Whereabouts is it?

- A very nice area

Same again for the young lady

I'll drive you there. The owners are friends.

Trees everywhere, you'll see

It seems a long way

I made a big detour.

The traffic is so heavy at this hour

There's the train that will get you to Paris

in less than 20 minutes

Don't you feel lonely,

so far away from your family?

A little, sometimes

Those dogs... how many are there?

You see? You'll be well guarded

Mademoiselle Edna Grnberg...

Monsieur Dormeunil

Delighted. A drop of port to pick you up

after your journey?

No, thanks. I don't want to stay long

We're not in that munch of a hurry

In a moment, I'll show you your room

It has a lovely view over the trees,

I'm sure you'll like it

I don't know...

I'll have to think it over

You really must see the room

Of course, you can't judge properly

in the dark

It's not that... but being so far out

isn't very convenient for me

Not convenient?

It's very convenient here, very convenient

Perhaps, but... I don't want to be too late

getting back tonight

I must meet a friend.

I'll let you know tomorrow

Tomorrow will be too late, my dear

I'll start after diner

This time I must try a larger graft...

...removed in a single section

People are all the same.

They love animals when they're young

Then the animals grow up, eat too munch

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