Themroc
Director: Claude Faraldo
Actors: Michel Piccoli, Béatrice Romand, Marilù Tolo
PlotA blue-collar factory worker endures a monotonous, dehumanizing routine at his job and home in a dreary urban apartment. He is surrounded by oppressive figures—an overbearing boss, an uncommunicative mother, and intrusive neighbors—all symbolic of society’s rigid conventions. Communication throughout his life is reduced to guttural grunts, further emphasizing the alienating environment. One day, the worker’s mounting frustration reaches a breaking point after a particularly humiliating encounter at work. Seized by a primal urge, he storms out of the factory, flouting all authority, and returns to his apartment.
His revolt deepens as he physically tears apart the boundaries of his dwelling, smashing windows and walls to break free from urban confinement. Embracing his newfound savagery, he sheds his societal role entirely, hoisting himself into a state of pre-civilized existence marked by animalistic behavior. The sounds in the building shift from urban background noise to grunts and howls, reflecting the descent into anarchy. His actions inspire first shock, then fascination among neighbors, some of whom join in the rebellion while others watch with a mixture of fear and curiosity. As the apartment transforms into a cave-like den, the suburban order unravels. The film explores the chaotic consequences that erupt when an individual rejects every social norm in search of instinctual freedom.
Writers: N/A
Release Date: 01 Oct 1980
Runtime: 100 min
Rating: N/A
Country: France
Language: None
Physical Media Reviews
Radiance’s Blu-ray of Themroc offers strong restoration, thoughtful supplements, and standout packaging—an archival presentation for adventurous viewers.