Original subtitles

THE DOCTOR'S HORRIBLE EXPERIMENT

- Good evening, Mr. Renoir. - Good evening, Ren�e.

We're ready to start the show. The movie's being prepped.

- Which studio? - 14.

Let's go to number 14, then.

Take your places, please.

Good evening, Mr. Renoir. Your text is on the table.

How are you?

Please go upstairs with Maurice.

See you later.

Hello.

Hello.

If you want to see the show, just look at the monitor.

Great. Thanks. I'll try.

Give me a second so I can be presentable.

- Here we go. - Please take a seat here.

Thanks!

- Is this okay, Georges? - If I may.

- It's all good. - Good.

Mr. Renoir, could we do a sound check?

Should I say a few words

for your sound check, like this?

- Did that work for you? - Yes, thanks a lot.

Thanks to you.

Mr. Renoir, the show will start in a moment.

The camera right in front of you will signal you to begin.

All right. Very well. Thanks.

JEAN RENOIR PRESENTS

THE DOCTOR'S HORRIBLE EXPERIMENT

We have just watched the end of a shocking story.

So shocking, in fact,

that I shall make it the topic of tonight's show.

So let's start at the beginning

where it all started a few months back.

The story takes place in the western suburb of Paris,

a residential area more than a business one.

Behind those walls, mysterious gardens.

In this suburban area, one can enjoy the sight of this elegant townhouse,

residence of the famous Dr. Cordelier

whose research in psychiatry had drawn the world's attention.

No patient was ever seen in his house,

as the doctor was rather solitary and focused on his research.

The office of Mr. Joly, attorney,

is located in the center of town.

It is quite tricky to say when dramatic events really start.

They are quite often part of the victims' lives

before they even know it.

In this case, I think everything started

when Dr. Cordelier left his will

in the care of his friend, Mr. Joly.

The two men met while doing their mandatory service

and are now almost neighbors.

As he reads the document, Mr. Joly is quite surprised.

The name of Dr. Cordelier's sole legatee

is totally unknown to him and sounds quite odd:

"Mr. Opale."

A few weeks later,

around 10:00 p.m. One night,

Mr. Joly was closing his shades.

Suddenly he noticed a little girl

walking down the street, unaccompanied.

Mr. Joly was shocked that parents would leave a child to walk the streets

at such a late hour.

Hey, over there!

Let her go!

Here.

- The bastard! - Did he hurt you, honey?

It's Mrs. Mathieu's daughter. Please go get her!

Don't just stand there! We have to catch him!

This door leads to Dr. Cordelier's backyard.

We have to warn him and call the police.

- We have to warn him. - Let me take care of that.

He's a friend of mine. I'll go in through the main door.

- Let me help you. - No, I'll be fine.

- You have to get medical attention. - That can wait.

- Good evening, Mr. Joly. - Good evening, Mr. Meunier.

- What's going on? - Let me tell you...

There's nothing to tell.

- How's Mrs. Meunier? - She's well. Thank you.

Give my regards to her. Have a good night.

- Have a good night. - Good night.

Thank you, gentlemen. You may go now.

- What... - We can't...

We might be of help. Please let us in.

We all saw him.

Unbelievable!

Let's wait here.

- Is the doctor in? - He's not.

Is there a problem, sir?

What's the matter?

Some horrible person just attacked a little girl.

- Where? - Right in front of my house.

- Was he caught? - That was impossible!

He took refuge in your house.

He went through the back.

- Through the door leading to the lab. - Exactly.

What's shocking is that he had a key.

Did you hear, D�sir He had a key!

Call the driver and the gardener and let's surround the lab.

We have to catch that man.

That won't be possible, Mr. Joly.

We can't do that.

- Why not? - We have orders.

Regarding that man? So you know him?

I've never seen him but I know who he is.

- He's been here before? - Never in these quarters.

That's why I've never met him.

He always stays in the other building.

In the lab. The doctor's orders are strict:

Mr. Opale is not to be disturbed while he's in the lab.

What did you say?

- "Opale"? - Opale.

Mr. Opale.

That's impossible.

D�sir�, what happen tonight is serious.

The doctor has to be informed as soon as possible.

No matter how late he gets back, I must talk to him.

Please let him know he has to call me

- as soon as he gets back. - You can count on me.

I never go to bed before he's home.

One more thing, D�sir�.

I want to make sure that Opale only owns a key to the lab.

That is correct, sir.

D�sir�, do you have a gun?

I have a pistol in my bedside table.

- Is it loaded? - Yes, it is.

Go get it and keep it in your pocket.

The doctor might need your protection.

D�sir�, we have to keep this story under wraps.

I'll get rid of those people.

- So, anything new? - We couldn't get in.

- Unbelievable. - Here's the girl.

- She looks okay. - This is for you, darling.

You're a lucky girl! You'll get your picture in the paper!

- So? - How's the girl?

I'm her mother and I'm here to defend other mothers against such people.

- And the police... - Ma'am, I understand your pain.

Thank God your girl wasn't hurt,

but we'll do everything we can to prevent such things from happening again.

You have my word.

You can trust me, I am Mr. Joly, attorney.

Of course, I trust you, but...

After such an experience, your girl is going to need

some rest and some fun activities.

Please take this.

You might need it to cover some of your expenses.

You're a good man, and I do trust you, sir.

Now I know that person will be punished.

- He did the right thing. - Yes, he did.

- Your purse! - What an odd story.

Thanks for coming.

D�sir� told me everything

- and I wanted to reassure you. - So you called the police?

- Was he arrested? - Not at all.

But...

and how about you?

Does Mr. Opale know the contents of your will?

Does he know he's your sole legatee?

My friend, the inheritance is nothing

compared to what Opale's given me.

That man is allowing me to work on his brain.

He's given me his brain.

Nothing compared to a will.

I realize that young man can be surprising

- when he's not well. - "Surprising"?

He could kill you just to inherit your fortune!

I'm not talking to you as a man of law, but as a friend,

and I'm begging you to declare your will void

at least until Mr. Opale's health is fully restored.

I am touched by your concern,

but believe me, I was sound in body and mind

and acting in free will

when I wrote up my will.

I can't declare it void.

Then I have to remind you that social rules also apply here.

How will you defend yourself, what will you say

if other misdeeds were to be committed by your prot�g�?

You seem unhappy,

troubled.

If only I could relieve you of some of your burden...

I am not worthy of your friendship,

but I promise that what happened tonight

will never happen again.

We're going to Dr. S�verin's office, in Paris.

To conclude, if we were to consider

Cordelier's declarations...

Doctor?

- Yes? - Mr. Joly is here to see you.

Let him in.

- Cordelier's declarations,

not only would the entire medical profession be questioned,

but so would science and progress.

This report is to be sent to the president of the Congress on Neuropathology.

Please send a copy to that stupid Cordelier.

I'm retracting the word "stupid."

Cordelier is paranoid.

Doctor, you smoke too much.

"You smoke too much."

- Hello, Mr. Joly. - Ma'am.

Dear friend, it's nice to meet you.

- Hello, Doctor. - So...

My dear S�verin,

I haven't come to see the psychoanalyst,

but the friend that you are.

You certainly don't need my services.

You never know.

I know your time is precious and I must speak to you

of someone who was a dear friend of yours for a long time

and who I believe is in grave danger.

I'm talking about your glorious friend Cordelier.

Cordelier?

You've come all this way to talk about Cordelier?

Indeed.

"Glorious"?

Sure... I guess.

But he's certainly not my friend.

I think Cordelier is a real danger to humanity!

Of course, I admit he was one of our best psychiatrists. I said "was."

That idiot gave up the best clientele

to dedicate himself to his nonsensical research.

His theories are a disgrace!

They may be. I don't know anything about it.

But I'm talking about him being in danger.

Cordelier has just written up his will,

making some pervert his sole legatee!

- Who? - Some Mr. Opale.

Never heard of him.

That man attacked a little girl right in front of me

and took refuge at Cordelier's, with whom he's staying!

Well, I'm not surprised.

Cordelier says that monster

is the core element that allows him to experiment

on a live brain!

That takes the cake!

He should start working on his own brain!

I've come to ask if such experiments were possible,

if his motive was acceptable.

Otherwise, I could be led to believe

that he's the victim

of some kind of blackmail, or threats, in which case, I'd have to intervene.

Don't get involved in this!

This is just a madman making another madman his legatee, that's all!

- They're both void of any interest. - What if Cordelier had fallen victim

of the science to which he sacrificed everything?

Him, a "victim of the science..."?

Come on, that's laughable!

Let's forget about Cordelier.

Life is too short, and there are way more entertaining things to talk about.

Do you have plans tonight?

I'm afraid I should head back.

You're a reasonable man, huh?

- Good bye. - Good bye, Doctor.

Really, you can't tell me anything about...

Don't get involved and don't worry.

Cordelier.

Help!

Come on, sir...

Help!

Killer!

Catch the killer!

Catch the killer!

That's terrible!

What horrible news, Captain!

President Demargnis had dinner with me tonight.

No, it's too important. I'll be right over.

Bastien,

- my coat, please. - Yes, sir.

All this is rather vague.

- How old do you think he is? - I couldn't say.

All I can tell you is, he's frightening.

But you must have noticed if he had brown, blond or no hair!

I don't know. He scared me.

Thanks anyway.

Captain, I'm Mr. Joly.

You can go get some sleep.

- Do you recognize this? - Yes, indeed.

He left with half his cane. And his clothes were too big.

It's a good thing you could notice that.

It'll be helpful.

Good night.

I hope that won't happen again.

Captain?

I'm afraid I'll have to betray lawyer-client confidentiality,

but I know who that cane belongs to.

I read the address of its owner in a suspicious will.

His name is Opale and he lives in Paris,

38 avenue Pigalle.

- Are you in charge here? - I am.

- Police. - Nice to meet you.

- Mr. Opale lives here, right? - Room 29.

He always forgets his keys.

- Will you take me to Mr. Opale's room? - It'd be my pleasure.

Morel, keep watch. Salbris, come with me.

All I can tell you is that he always pays on time.

Everything else...

Must have been tough.

The cops are coming for Opale.

Did you hear that, Suzy?

The cops are here for Opale.

You'll live in peace now.

Let's take a look.

Opale is indeed our killer.

Now we have to find him.

I need to ask you ladies

if any one of you saw Opale last night.

Come on, tell him.

Tell him. You did nothing wrong.

Go ahead, Suzy. Tell them everything.

Poor Suzy, you're scared. Well, I'm not!

Captain, that man is a demon.

Look at her!

The bastard hit her so hard that she can barely stand!

He's no angel, but last night he was crazier than ever.

Is that right?

Did your client look especially irritated?

Yes, Captain. He must have been upset

because I'd never seen him like that. And I know him well.

And he never touches a bottle.

Thank you.

Thank you, ladies, for coming forward and talking to us.

I won't ask you to waste your time at the police station.

Plus, such a character won't be hard to find.

Opale has disappeared.

I don't know where's he's hiding out.

It's a serious matter. That man's a killer!

You are in grave danger. That will puts you in danger!

I won't write up another one.

At least not until I see him

and understand what happened.

- Cordelier... - I have to see him,

just once,

so I can demonstrate the superiority of my theories

over those of S�verin's.

Don't get him involved in all this. You know how motivated he is.

He'll take this opportunity to destroy you!

S�verin is only goo >at false theories.

He's a bad psychoanalyst,

but he's still a doctor.

He's bound by patient-doctor confidentiality.

Then I hope you'll never find Opale.

The experiment I want to perform in front of S�verin

is the conclusion of years of work, and I won't give that up!

You should hope that I meet Opale as soon as possible

because when I do,

I'll erase him from my life forever.

I won't need him anymore.

I'm telling you I agree!

- He'll be here tomorrow. - Doctor, you shouldn't say yes.

I should tell Mr. Joly. Please put him on the phone.

Hello, Mr. Joly.

Please hold.

Hello, Mr. Joly.

I have some answers for you.

Indeed. From your friend Cordelier.

He'll be here tomorrow.

What do you mean, what for? He'll make his demonstration.

You want to see me beforehand?

Then come by now.

Very well. See you later.

So he told you?

Yes, and he'll come by to make his demonstration tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.

But do you know what it is?

No, but I hope he'll tell me.

I wish I knew the nature of that experiment.

I want to solve this nerve-wracking mystery.

- I can't sleep anymore. - You'll know soon enough,

and either I'm an idiot or he's crazy!

If he's crazy, then you'll have to get him locked up.

You're his friend and lawyer, after all.

There's no need to get in this state. It can't be good for you.

Even if Cordelier's views differ from yours,

it'd be unreasonable to declare him crazy.

No... I'm looking forward to unmasking this impostor.

Then I'll be able to get some rest.

Boulard will fill in for me.

My dear S�verin >you're overworked.

I've been more reasonable recently.

That's actually worrying me.

Boulard is taking care of me.

He's dedicated to you.

Yes, he's like a son to me.

In any case...

I'll be back tomorrow.

Yes, sure. Good bye, then.

See you tomorrow.

Sorry I can't answer your questions,

but... you understand, huh?

I do.

Marguerite...

I need to cancel tomorrow's appointments

and reschedule for next week. Thanks, darling.

I'm taking you to the hospital. I have a car.

- Hold him. - That man looked diabolical.

He walked into this building. Let's find him!

Don't. It's too dangerous. I'll call the police.

Ma'am, may I use your phone? It's a serious matter.

- Please do. - Thank you.

Hello. I'd like to speak with Captain Lardaut.

Captain Lardaut? Mr. Joly speaking.

Please come to Dr. S�verin's office.

- Opale is with him. - Opale?

Are you sure?

Listen to me.

Since Cordelier's not there yet,

try to stop him. Yes.

It is in his best interest not to get involved in another scandal.

We'll be there in a moment.

Let's go.

Thanks, Ma'am.

But, sir! Sir!

Do you have an appointment?

Dr. S�verin will see me if you tell him it's Dr. Cordelier.

But you're not Dr. Cordelier.

Of course not! I have an appointment with the doctor.

Not today, but tomorrow.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

Sir! Sir!

What's going on?!

What's going on?

Allow me to introduce myself.

I'm Mr. Opale.

Ah, Opale...

- Did Cordelier send you? - Yep.

I'm supposed to meet with Dr. Cordelier.

He needs me

for his... demonstration.

Are you two fucking with me?

- Come back tomorrow! - Don't get so restless.

You'll get a heart attack.

We're meeting today.

Dr. Cordelier can't make it tomorrow.

He'll be here in a moment.

What made you think you could let him...

He was here when I arrived. He must have forced his way in.

He did.

It might be a good thing after all.

Don't you think?

I can't wait to see.

No witnesses.

What do you mean?

That's why the doctor moved our meeting to today.

Remember, I'm a criminal.

Yes, and you're afraid I might tell the police?

Yep.

What? Since no witnesses are allowed...

I'm not a witness.

I'm his patient.

So...

You're pissing me off, okay?

You're really pissing me off!

In that case,

no demonstration.

Very well then.

That's enough.

Sit down and wait.

Marguerite, see if Boulard needs you.

- Does he have a patient? - Not until 5:00 p.m., sir.

Go to him and tell him I don't want to be interrupted.

- But sir... - Do as I said.

Go on. Mary, you'll stay at the desk.

- What if someone arrives? - We're expecting Dr. Cordelier.

I'll take care of him myself.

Go on.

You have no scars.

Cordelier's never performed trepanations on you?

I don't know.

All I know is...

it hurts.

- Where's Dr. Cordelier? - Thank God, he's not here yet.

- Good. - Unless he arrived while I was calling you.

Be on the lookout.

Cordelier...

Joly, something terrible has happened.

I'm Captain Lardaut, Crime Squad.

Come in, Joly. Come in, Captain.

Marguerite, come quick.

Dr. S�verin's not well.

When he opened the door, he was having a fit.

- He's now in a coma. - Coma?

I've been taking care of him. Be careful.

My God!

- Where's Opale? - Opale?

He wasn't here when I arrived.

Doctor...

Calm down. Calm down.

Boulard, bring me what I need for an injection.

That's our last hope.

Morel, the killer's escaped.

Comb the apartment.

I looked everywhere, I questioned the tenants, nothing.

The cornice.

That's the only way he could have escaped.

He went up the wall and through one of these windows.

"The sudden death of famous psychoanalyst Dr. Lucien S�verin

is drawing attention to the mysterious experiment

attempted by Dr. Cordelier.

What was that experiment?

How can it have led to Dr. S�verin's death?

How did the subject on which the experiment was to be conducted,

a known criminal, manage to escape?

Why didn't Dr. Cordelier, who had the means of contacting the subject,

have him arrested?

Those questions will remain unanswered.

Dr. Cordelier declined to make any comments."

- Of course! - "The police think he was too distracted

to tell the police about his connection to that person

and have decided not to get him involved in this tragic affair.

We can however inform our readers

about the fact that Dr. Cordelier has decided to put an end to his experiments.

He may even be ready to go back to his specialty, psychiatry."

My dear Marguerite,

you know better than anybody how much I disagreed with your boss.

However, I want to tell you

how much his premature death saddens me.

It's helped me understand that our bitter fights

have contributed to my work.

Marguerite, I want you to know

that you can count on my help.

Thank you.

Thank you for what you've said about Mr. S�verin.

Don't worry about me.

I'll go back to the country to live with my mother

as soon as I've organized his office.

I'll drive you home.

What are you doing with these bricks?

Dr. Cordelier has asked us to wall this entrance.

That's a good thing.

This way, darling.

Good evening, D�sir�.

This way.

Thank you, D�sir�.

Dear Ambassador. I'm glad you're back in Paris.

- When did you get it? - Yesterday.

We were still in Ottawa the day before last!

- We've saved our first visit for you! - How nice of you.

My dear, you are more beautiful than ever.

Those three years in Canada have been good for you.

We weren't in Canada much. Rio, Caracas, Lima...

you know how it is with diplomats.

Canada is meeting its Latin neighbors.

By the way, we were in Rio

when we heard S�verin had died.

- You know our friends, don't you? - Yes.

- Mrs. De la P�pini�r - Good evening.

- Miss Duchemin. - Miss. My pleasure.

You know Her Excellency. She's honoring us with her presence.

- I'm so glad to see you. - And our friend Joly.

My respects, madam.

Your presence here tonight

is turning this friendly get-together into a party.

- Your Excellency. - My dear Joly.

We are so happy to be back to Paris's joie-de-vivre!

We missed it so much during our exile.

They were in Canada, indeed.

You like those animals.

For sure!

Madam, I need to ask you a favor.

I know it's rather old-fashioned,

but I'd like to take advantage of your being here

to address a few words from all of us

to our host.

First, I'd like to thank Dr. Cordelier

for resurrecting an old tradition tonight,

a tradition interrupted for too long,

the tradition of spending a good evening together.

Bravo! That's very true!

We are all wondering how we could do

without these enlightening get-togethers.

This being a time for pleasure,

I am proud to say it in front of you, madam,

and in front of Your Excellency.

I don't want to hurt your modesty, my dear Cordelier...

but I've never given out as much money

with such satisfaction.

You are indeed a real benefactor to humanity!

Bravo! Very good!

What a wonderful evening, my dear Cordelier.

We have spent a delightful couple of hours.

You're too nice. It was my pleasure.

See you very soon.

My dear friend, I wanted to be the last to leave...

to tell you again how happy I am.

As long as I felt that person was a threat to you,

I couldn't sleep.

Which is tragic for me,

because I can't function without eight hours of sleep a night.

I actually had to take sleeping pills!

I know it's all over now

and I've been enjoying better days

ever since I saw the brick-layers wall that damned lab door.

I'll see you soon. I'll organize a little party myself.

See you soon.

You didn't have to wait up for me.

Here. Go to bed.

Have a good night's sleep.

Hello? What is this about?

D�sir What's the matter?

What?

No, you did well.

I'll be right over.

He's coming.

Doctor?

Doctor?

That's enough.

I've had enough!

Terrible!

I can't take this anymore.

I can't take this! I'm so scared.

I'm never scared, but I can't take this!

No...

no!

No, I can't listen to this!

I can't listen to this any longer! Please, do something!

We can't let him scream like this! It's inhuman!

Georges, take Blaise over there. The two of you won't be scared.

Take Blaise? Certainly not!

He won't go back. I don't want him to go mad.

Maybe the other man's come back and things are not going well.

My husband's a gardener, not an asylum ward!

I'll go by myself.

It's Mr. Joly.

Juliette, please.

He's taking a long time.

What if it wasn't Mr. Joly?

That's right. What if it wasn't him?

What if it wasn't him?

Juliette.

Let's not panic. Let's start at the beginning.

Sit down.

Thank you.

Do sit down.

D�sir�,

state the facts

and nothing but the facts.

We have to act promptly.

You were the last to leave...

and while we were cleaning things up,

the doctor got changed and went to his lab.

- At midnight? - Yes.

He often worked late at night.

That hasn't happened in a while.

You saw him tonight:

He was particularly happy.

We finished putting things away

and went to bed,

when suddenly a horrific scream woke us up.

- Yes... - It was the doctor's voice,

a terrible scream, followed by moaning coming from the lab.

I rushed there but the door was locked.

The doctor refused to open it for me.

Let's go. We can't leave him like this!

Stay here.

Cordelier?

Cordelier, it's Joly.

Open this door, I'm begging you!

We're all worried to death.

What's going on?

Beware. The other man might be in there.

Cordelier? If you don't open the door, we'll bust it open.

Open! Come on!

We are here to save you.

One last time, open the door!

Georges, go get the handgun in my bedside table, and an axe.

We have to open the door. Go ahead.

Stay away!

It's him. It's Opale!

Where is the master of the house?

- Killer! - Stay away from me!

Go away.

Killer!

If you've hurt my boss, I'll kill you before the police even arrives!

Where is he?!

Take care of him. I'll go get some opium.

Be careful.

He's under control now.

Still, let's be prudent.

Sir!

Don't you worry. We've got him!

- Sir! - See, we finally got you!

- Bastard! - Sir!

- D�sir - Yes?

- Anybody there? - Just an old trunk.

Sir! Sir!

Let her go! Make a move and I'll shoot!

Go ahead!

Careful, it's loaded!

- Stop or I'll shoot! - And so what?

- I can't find the doctor. - He's probably killed him.

- Let's go get the police. - Yes, D�sir�,

go get the police before it's too late.

- Call the police and Cordelier's dead. - We won't give in to your threats!

Tell us where Dr. Cordelier is or else...

I'll tell you only, then. You, the lawyer.

Finding your friend alive is up to you.

- How's that? - Tell them to go back into the house.

And nobody moves until the lawyer tells you to.

Those are my conditions.

I have no other choice but to agree to it.

Please, go back to your rooms

and don't do anything before I ask you to.

Come on. Please.

May I?

It's for you.

You recognize Dr. Cordelier's handwriting, don't you?

So why are you hesitating?

Open it.

A recording?

What for?

To understand.

I like to understand.

Don't you?

This is more than a will.

It is the confession of a poor man

who, unable to confess to God,

asks of the man who is now listening to him

to act as a priest listening to a sinner.

This is Cordelier's voice!

Mr. Joly, I don't deserve your friendship.

I am a hypocrite.

My righteous and virtuous appearance

is nothing but a lie.

Under it lie the most despicable instincts,

the most abominable thirst for perversion.

For years I fought against myself.

That ongoing and never-ending struggle...

disturbed me rather profoundly.

Evil spirits were constantly after me.

Let me tell you how desperate things got

by recounting two apparently unimportant incidents

that will, however, illustrate my point.

I had just started in the profession.

I even had a reputation that was dear to me:

"The virtuous doctor."

At the time, I had a young German maid called Lise.

Mrs. Des Essarts is late.

Good.

Lise, no...

Button up your shirt.

Lise, your blouse.

- Doctor. - Madam, what brings you here?

I know doctors can hear anything,

especially with the kind of people you deal with.

Cigarette? That will soothe you.

Thank you, Doctor.

Don't you smoke?

Never. It's a matter of discipline.

I am so ashamed, I don't know if I can tell you.

It's not about me, it's about my little Robert. He's sick!

Seriously sick!

A pervert, as you say.

He's barely 18 and...

- And? - He sleeps with the maid!

- The maid? - Yes. It's awful.

It is indeed awful.

What should I do to help my boy?

Well...

first of all, I should see him.

Then we'll put him back on the right path,

and teach him health through mental exercises.

He'll soon be rid of that taste for unhealthy relationships.

Can you come... on Wednesday?

- Wednesday is good. - 2:00 p.m.?

- 2:00 p.m. Is fine. - Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.

Good.

Thanks, Doctor.

Have a good day, madam.

No, Lise. No.

You're going to have to look for another position.

I can't have you work for me any longer.

- Sir? - No!

I suddenly felt withered by the affair,

an affair worthy of some retarded, perverted student,

and was quick to fire my accomplice.

I had always been horrified

by what some called their "feminine affairs with their patients."

At home, you can put your hands on your sternum, like so,

and just relax, okay?

I'll give you a shot.

Make a fist.

Good.

I was always disgusted by doctors abusing their pretty patients.

The excitement I sensed in some of my patients

sometimes made me forget about my resolutions.

However, I fought back by expressing brutal hostility.

Open your hand.

At that time, all the female neurotics of the world

wanted to be in my care.

Fran�oise showed such emotion during her visits

that I could have easily felt I was given permission

to make her my lover.

However, I knew she had a penchant for gossip.

There.

- It didn't hurt too much, I hope. - On the contrary, Doctor.

Until one day, after putting her to sleep,

I became her lover

without her knowing it.

Those types of incidents started to accumulate.

In an effort of willpower,

I decided to stop all visits

to focus entirely on the problem

that had been haunting me since childhood...

that of evil.

Long years of research followed.

I suddenly became sure I had found a physiological therapy

that could cure moral infections

the way antibiotics cure physical infections.

I had started my research

with a thorough study of all narcotics known and unknown,

since I discovered a few.

I was able to list some of their effects

on willpower, on memory,

on association of ideas,

on consciousness

and... why hesitate to say the word?...

on the soul.

The result of my new knowledge only materialized a few months ago

into an inodorous liquid of a rather strange color.

Two things were left for me to do:

To inform the right authorities of my discovery

in order to confirm that the potion wasn't deadly,

and to testify of the positive outcome before my colleagues.

I thought of S�verin

because his theories were radically different from mine,

which led me to think that I could count on his impartiality.

A perfect sophist, S�verin refused to admit

that any changes could be made to the soul,

since he believed that the soul was nothing but consciousness.

Your research is horrifying!

We're suddenly back to the Middle Ages!

You are a threat to humanity,

to morals and to life itself!

You're repudiating Claude Bernard and Darwin!

You should be arrested, judged

and burned at the stake!

You are guilty of the most abominable crime!

You blaspheme against humankind,

against matter itself!

Yes, matter!

I suddenly realized that no one would accept my discovery

as long as I didn't have any physical proof.

I could not experiment on animals

since the soul is the one thing that animals don't have.

After that unfruitful meeting,

I didn't dare to ask any human being to take any risk in my experiment.

I thus decided to take the risk myself.

At the last minute, I hesitated.

I had mistakenly created a being

radically opposed to me.

My perceptions were the same

as that of the Cordelier I was a moment before,

but my feelings were completely opposed to his.

I had become a free man,

free of all limitations,

with unlimited right.

That changed body was the reflection

of my instincts.

I decided to name

that new part of me Opale.

No... no... no!

This is a conspiracy!

You are a criminal.

You are not Cordelier! You can't be!

You are right. I'm not Cordelier.

I am Opale.

Cordelier has disappeared.

That's what's terrible.

This is a lie!

You killed Cordelier! I know it.

You are an impostor and I won't be your accomplice.

- I'm calling the police! - Look at my clothes!

You stole them from Cordelier after you killed him.

No, a man like you can't be Cordelier.

A monster that rapes and kills can't be Cordelier!

You are not Cordelier!

I don't believe you! I can't believe you!

You can't prove you are Cordelier. It's impossible!

You want proof? Here it is.

Do you remember that while in the service,

you accidentally hurt me. Look at my arm.

Isn't this Cordelier's arm?

Cordelier...

Cordelier.

You have no right to do this.

You are a crook, the worst of the worst.

You abused my trust and my friendship.

I don't want to have anything to do with you!

I'll get revenge!

I'll never forgive you.

I don't want you to forgive me.

I want you to help me...

to tolerate me.

What's left of Cordelier in me can turn to you only.

You are the only man who can give me back my conscience.

Joly...

your pain and your rage are giving me hope.

I'll never lie to you again, Joly.

I couldn't. I can't do anything, for that matter.

You are the one who can.

All I need is your patience.

Please help me be Cordelier again.

I need to know how a man can stoop so low.

I want to understand.

I'll try to listen to you...

but I'm sure you won't be able to justify yourself.

I'm not trying to justify myself.

The first time I became Opale,

I had managed to go beyond the limits

of my body and of society.

I suddenly felt freed

from the weight that was pressing down on me.

I felt so light... so light... so light.

When I saw D�sir I was terrified.

What if he recognized me?

For a moment, I was tempted to call for him.

The first person I saw frightened me.

Once he was far enough away,

I left my hideout

and decided to confront someone who knew me.

The mailman had probably requested Cordelier's signature 100 times.

Here you are.

He lit up the stranger's cigarette

without a hesitation.

Opale was becoming part of the world.

The next morning, I went home after a rather busy night.

I was happy, free,

without any remorse.

The sight of that little door brought me back to reality.

What if the experiment didn't work backwards?

What if Opale couldn't be Cordelier again?

I woke up from a sleep as deep as death.

I was Cordelier again.

I was indifferent to Opale's exploits.

It was as if someone else had been part of that debauchery,

someone about whom I didn't have to feel remorseful,

if indeed Opale was able to feel any remorse.

Only one painful and recurring memory was spoiling that experiment:

That of the atrocious pain I was in during my metamorphosis.

I swore I'd never take that risk again.

Vain resolution!

I wasn't drawn to the character of Opale

merely to satisfy my lowest sexual instincts,

but most of all to express my need for cruelty.

One night, after a new experiment and a double transformation,

I was back to being Cordelier, going back to my strict schedule...

Good night, sir. See you at 7:00 a.m., as usual.

Thank you, D�sir�.

I fell asleep while looking at the pattern on the curtains

drawn by D�sir�, as usual.

The next day, the sunlight beamed

through the curtain openings.

Will you have breakfast, sir?

Sir?

Sir, your breakfast!

Now you know everything.

I had to ingest higher and higher dosages of the antidote.

The least little shiver was the sign

that I was going back to what I am now:

A monster.

The miracle of that dual personality

requires as much mental strength as it does chemicals.

Cordelier, my friend...

I can't go back to being a good person,

but I can't stay like this.

I won't.

I won't.

Do you understand?

And the dosage I have to take now

to be Cordelier again

is incompatible with the human body.

It is lethal.

Joly...

you have proven you are my friend.

Make the decision for me:

Either I remain a monster

or I die.

In the condition you are in,

is it relevant to ask if you have kept any religious sentiment?

My experiment itself proves it.

I now know that separated from my dual body,

my soul will be immortal.

So remember...

you have no right to kill your own body.

You'll have to suffer through a life as Opale,

whom you knowingly created.

You'll thus suffer part of the punishment you deserve

for touching the Creator's work.

No! Cordelier!

No, no, Cordelier.

Cordelier. Cordelier.

Help! Help!

Help! Help!

D�sir�, quick Help! Your boss is dead!

Come quick, D�sir�.

The master of the house is dead.

What about the other man?

What about the killer?

He punished himself.

Wasn't Cordelier, who had paid with his own life

for the tragic exhilaration of his spiritual quest,

the luckiest one of all?

THE END