Original subtitles

♪ Paris ♪

♪ Muffles the screams ♪

♪ Of a girl whose throat is being slit ♪

♪ Beneath a truck cover ♪

A WOMAN KILLS

...despite Hélène Picard's execution.

A new murder following Hélène Picard's death.

Hélène Picard is dead but the crimes continue.

Read all about it!

Young girl murdered as if Hélène Picard were still alive.

Read all about it.

The crimes continue despite Hélène Picard's execution.

Another murder following Hélène Picard's death.

Hélène Picard is dead but the crimes continue.

Read all about it!

Young girl murdered as if Hélène Picard were still alive.

Hélène...

my child.

The time has come

to beg for the mercy of the one who said

"Knock and we'll open the door."

The Lord who sees all of our actions

knows how to distinguish the guilty from the innocent.

He has immense compassion.

And he'll forgive those who have been tortured by remorse.

Repeat after me:

Dear God...

I regret having offended you.

Dear God, I regret having offended you

because you are infinitely good

and that you do not like those who sin.

I make the resolution with the help of your holy grace

to no longer offend you

and to repent.

Amen.

LA PETITE ROQUETTE PRISON

That's how it started.

It was a cold morning in the 1960s.

The first piece of the case recounts the execution of a young woman

described as Hélène Picard, born in Lyon on 20th May 1943.

Having grown up in public care

she is known for being a runaway, a thief and unstable.

In 1960, her aggressiveness is noticed.

She has a penchant for violence and homosexuality.

10th October 1965, she is caught next to the mutilated corpse of a prostitute.

On 8th January 1966, Hélène Picard is sentenced to death.

She was executed on 22th March 1968.

Louis Guilbeau, 38 years old, born on 3rd January 1930 in Saint-Denis

1.77m, brown eyes and brown hair.

His father, Antoine Guilbeau, was a civil servant

at the Ministry of Justice until 1961.

His mother, Marie, managed a small hotel between 1945 and 1956.

After an ordinary childhood, Louis is recruited for the Algerian War.

He was diagnosed with slight paranoia

but we was respected by his colleagues and his superiors.

On leaving, Louis Guilbeau is offered a job with the Ministry of Justice.

He becomes a civil servant in 1963.

Since 1965, his job seems to be causing him psychological issues.

He even submitted an application to be removed from his position.

Today, on 22nd March 1968

Louis Guilbeau has a meeting at the police headquarters

with Superintendent Sabrot's assistant, Solange Lebas.

Every day...

Every day...

Every day, I receive threats in the mail.

I may come across as very audacious, Miss.

I do apologise

but I seem to have been followed.

I am so scared.

I am so scared.

Could we meet somewhere else?

I don't know, I'm sorry, but...

Tomorrow at the Buttes-Chaumont for example

at midday

would be perfect.

You can help me.

I beg you.

Chaos follows me around.

I don't understand who would want to be after me.

I don't have any enemies.

I am a quiet man.

I don't know how to thank you, Miss.

I'm very grateful.

Goodbye, Miss.

See you tomorrow.

Cathy, 20-year-old prostitute, specialised in animalistic lovemaking.

She was born in Lausanne in 1948 into a middle-class family.

She leaves home at 16 with her cousin, Jose, nicknamed "Handsome Serge".

In 1966, she becomes the mistress of a senior official

while continuing her other work commitments.

In 1967, she's a coach at the Cabaret de la Boule Rouge

and works as a prostitute on the side.

On 4th April 1968

the railway worker André Samain finds her body torn to shreds by a train.

Hélène Picard is dead.

She is dead but the crimes continue.

The crimes originally blamed on Hélène Picard

have been described by the police commissioner as "relentless".

New measures will be put in place but the police don't have any leads.

Official sources have confirmed that dozens of witnesses are coming forward each week.

No leads have so far materialised.

Latest headlines! Crimes continue despite Hélène Picard's death.

A new murder has taken place after Hélène Picard's death.

Hélène Picard is dead but the crimes continue.

Read all about it!

Young girl murdered as if Hélène Picard was still alive.

Read all about it.

The crimes continue despite Hélène Picard's execution.

A new murder following Hélène Picard's execution.

Hélène Picard is dead but the crimes continue.

Read all about it!

Young girl murdered as if Hélène Picard was still alive.

♪ Paris ♪

♪ Muffles the screams ♪

♪ Of a girl whose throat is being slit ♪

♪ Beneath a truck cover ♪

♪ Unbearable solitude ♪

♪ Distorting everything ♪

♪ Icy solitude ♪

♪ Fracturing the city ♪

♪ Paris, melting pot of cultures ♪

♪ Paris, hare stew ♪

♪ Paris, pigeon shooting ♪

I burn them.

These letters make me so angry.

These bastards will drive me insane if they don't kill me first.

They make me so crazy that I pace around my room for hours on end.

All my memories play over and over in my head.

I'm truly going crazy.

♪ I leave you my dinner jacket ♪

♪ And my love letters ♪

♪ And from the top of the Eiffel Tower ♪

♪ I'll tear apart your curtain of mist ♪

♪ To leave a veil ♪

So, Mr Guilbeau, how did you sleep?

I didn't have too many nightmares.

I'm alright.

So where's the letterbox key?

- Let's get to work. - It's the smallest one.

That's what I thought.

You think I'm mad, don't you?

I searched for hours, day and night

the way to approach you.

I completely made up this story about threatening letters.

Even if I were to lose your respect

I absolutely must tell you

that I had to see you.

Solange Lebas, 26 years old

born on 24th June 1942 in Tunis, Tunisia.

1.68m, light brown hair, hazel eyes.

Trained as a lawyer

she's been a civil servant at the police headquarters since 1967.

Hello, is this the police?

Please put me through to extension 812.

Hello?

Oh, Solange.

Solange.

My mother used to dress me up like a little girl.

All the other children made fun of me.

They would laugh as I walked past them.

Even the teachers would laugh in their beards.

Then the war happened.

I killed people.

As a civilian, I was lost.

And the circumstances meant

that I willingly became society's official killer.

Let's follow this young woman's every move. Stop.

Don't lose her. Stay in touch.

She was with a very young woman. Stop Let's follow her. Stop.

We've lost her. Stop.

Brigitte from Barbès, 22 years old.

Occasional prostitute.

She was part of the Blancs-Manteaux order in 1964.

In 1965, she put her son, Mathieu, into public care.

On 1st May 1968, her body is found in the Bois de Boulogne.

On her neck were marks of strangulation.

Late again.

I'm late because of good old Gibdouny.

Well, it's got to stop. Sit down.

Lights!

There she is, dead. She was obviously assaulted.

Forensics are clear, she was killed by a woman.

This woman...

Inspector Fabre saw a very tall woman leave with the victim.

We don't know anything else.

Show us the sketch of the suspect.

There it is.

Memorise it.

I'll be right there!

Oh, Solange. I'm happy to see you.

- Are you well, Louis? - I'm OK.

I apologise for my outfit.

I was just in the middle of cooking.

Single men need to do it all.

Haven't you seen the news?

No.

We found the body of a woman

like the victims of Hélène Picard.

Her body was found in the woods.

I'm scared.

I don't know why but I'm worried Hélène Picard wasn't the murderer.

What do you mean, Solange?

All the proof, the witness statements...

Be reasonable.

Perhaps I was wrong.

I'm not a psychologist...

but...

you'd be wrong to think it's the same woman

who killed before that is killing now, after Hélène's execution.

I'd like to be wrong.

I think that all the media attention

means that any mad person could relate to Hélène.

That's all.

I still have this mysterious comb.

I've sent it for analysis.

See you later, Gibdouny.

10th May 1968...

the investigation stalls.

You make me laugh with your stories.

The weather is nice in Paris.

Superintendent Sabrot's stomach ulcer has started to bother him again.

His doctor has advised him to rest.

- What's that? - Ah...

That's a secret.

There are no secrets between us.

It's been a quiet night. Stop.

Nothing to report. Stop.

They follow all women between 20 and 40 years old

who would approach prostitutes. Stop.

Everything looks normal. Stop.

Nothing to report. Stop.

...Breasts and arses, men don't care about sex.

There's a strange kind of vibe in here.

Angèle, 26 years old, prostitute in Pigalle.

She was born in Paris on 3rd October 1942 into a bourgeois family.

In 1962, she married a wealthy businessman from the Bordeaux region.

In 1965, her husband dies in mysterious circumstances.

She is stopped by the police on 4th January 1966 for drug trafficking

but the charges are dropped on 7 February 1967.

On 1 January 1968, Angèle collaborates with the police

to assist in the arrest of Pascal Bonan, known as The Viper.

On 2nd February 1968, she is the victim of a car accident.

She resumes her work in May 1968.

On 13th May 1968, her mutilated body is found in a rubbish tip.

The victim was found with a broomstick in her anus

which reminded the police of the crimes committed by the young Hélène Picard.

You'll pay for this.

♪ When we are bored in Paris ♪

♪ We go rowing ♪

♪ We go rowing ♪

♪ In the Bois de Boulogne ♪

♪ We can hear the wood pigeons cooing ♪

♪ As the rowers puff and pant ♪

♪ The portly and the chubby ♪

♪ Fed with working-class sweat ♪

♪ These batchelors row alone ♪

♪ Because the slender rowing boats ♪

♪ Sink under the weight ♪

♪ Of diamond merchants ♪

♪ The gentle splashing of oars on the water ♪

♪ Like the glistening strike ♪

♪ Of the guillotine blade ♪

♪ And the last smile of the condemned ♪

♪ Wide eyes clear with tears ♪

♪ These executioners, make circles in the water ♪

♪ And set off for Cythera ♪

♪ With pretty policewoman ♪

♪ To hold them hostage ♪

With hanging...

there is instant loss of consciousness

because of arterial compression

which stops the blood supply to the brain.

If the body is taken down too soon

a return to consciousness is possible.

That has happened many times.

The electric chair is made of an electrode

that is placed on top of the head like a helmet.

- And... - You're not eating.

The other electrode is placed around the feet.

The heart stops.

The heart is stopped

by a high-voltage electric current

but death only occurs once the voltage is reduced.

That's terrible...

Yeah, and I'm not done.

Oh, yes, beheading.

Beheading.

Beheading...

is carried out

with...

a hand axe

or the guillotine.

The criminal is attached to a plank

and after covering their eyes...

- Are you listening to me? - I'm listening. I'm just...

After covering their eyes

the plank is flipped over

and we push them under the guillotine blade.

With the head on one side

and the body on the other

there are a few moments where the body parts are still moving.

Right, you can stop now, Claude.

When I think that Hélène died in this way...

You're too sentimental.

No, I'm just tired.

I'd like to go to bed.

♪ We must sort the cheese crusts ♪

♪ That are at the bottom of your plate ♪

♪ To compare the whiteness of your skin ♪

♪ To the whiteness of porcelain ♪

♪ The navy-blue serge of your civilian clothing ♪

♪ Dulls the mysterious shape ♪

♪ Of your celestial body ♪

♪ The nylon sliding up along your throat ♪

♪ Strangled by the impervious rig our ♪

♪ Of your being ♪

♪ We are not animals ♪

♪ We are not animals ♪

♪ We are the architects of the impossible ♪

♪ On the naked facades of worn-out buildings ♪

♪ And we imagine the voluptuous shape ♪

♪ Of cathedral angels ♪

♪ Freed from hypocritical mystery ♪

If you want everything to work

And that you don't want to be diagnosed with nervous depression

or some sort of insanity

you must rest.

I assure you

you won't make it otherwise.

What's that?

Some time off?

Love?

No.

No.

No, I don't know what that is.

Well, pack your suitcase.

Well...

In any case

I have only ever relied on myself.

That's right.

That's right.

Have a good trip then!

That's odd.

Where did I put my bracelet?

Have you seen my bracelet?

- You know the one with green stones... - No, no, no.

A NEW SADIST IN PIGALLE

- No, I haven't seen it. - Damn it...

You'll find it, look again.

I never take it off, I had left it here...

Look again.

When you arrive...

OK.

Ready for departure...

Shit!

Shit!

Typical of me to miss the train.

It's as if I'd done it on purpose.

Sorry, madam.

Who's that woman?

How rude not to answer.

I've never seen her in the building before.

It's the same woman as before.

She looks like the sketch of the sadist.

I'm scared...

For the first time in a very long time, I'm truly scared.

She must be going through the apartment.

No, no, I missed my train.

Listen to me.

There you are, Suzy.

Solange called you ten minutes ago.

- You need to be at Pigalle at ten o'clock. - She didn't say anything else?

I didn't even get to reply.

She just said that and then she hung up.

What are your thoughts on the sadist in Pigalle?

Sorry?

What are your thoughts on the sadist in Pigalle?

I don't know what that is.

I don't believe in the sadist.

It's all been made up by the media.

What are your thoughts on the sadist in Pigalle, Miss?

Not much.

What are your thoughts on the sadist in Pigalle?

I don't have any.

None at all?

If I were in the government, there wouldn't be more sadists than albinos.

I think it must be a foreigner.

I personally don't care as it doesn't affect students.

Plus, I have nothing against sadists.

Our reporter, André Breton, went down to the criminal police offices

where he interviewed Inspector Marcel Fabre.

Inspector, could you summarise the main points of the inquiry so far.

It is nearly impossible for me to answer precisely.

The case of the so-called sadist...

is one of the most obscure cases of my career.

Apart from that, Chief Inspector Sabrot

has given strict orders

not to discuss the case at all.

What I can tell you

is that it is not entirely impossible

for the sadist to fall for one of our traps.

If he notices I'm looking at him

I'm done.

Who's in the building across the street?

Sorry to bother you, Sir, a man has been following me for two hours.

Would you mind taking me in for a while to throw him off track?

Come in. Don't pay attention to the mess.

Suzy, 24 years old, single

Solange Lebas's secretary at the police headquarters.

On 24th May 1968

Guilbeau, impersonating a woman, tells her to meet him in a café in Pigalle.

Solange.

Solange.

This is Marcel.

They've left in a grey car.

A Renault.

Wait for orders.

We need all chances on our side.

Suzy knows she has to last until sunrise. Over.

I heard some sort of a gunshot.

I can't find him.

I don't understand, everything is quiet.

Please be quick.

The streets must be easy to block.

The life of one of our agents is in danger. Please be quick.

♪ The bed springs squeak ♪

♪ Patient, the woman ♪

♪ Cries of joy ♪

♪ Persecutor ♪

♪ This is your last Tango, persecutor ♪

♪ Patient, the woman ♪

♪ The persecutor smiles ♪

♪ The bed springs gather momentum ♪

♪ This is your last Tango, persecutor ♪

♪ And we watch, sat in a armchair ♪

♪ The emotionless bed springs ♪

♪ Suzy in his arms ♪

♪ Sculpts a headstone in her skin ♪

♪ May the bastard die ♪

♪ Rest assured, good people, you'll get your money's worth ♪

♪ When the persecutor is dead ♪

♪ Like a pernicious animal ♪

♪ There will be blood ♪

♪ >a' Juicy details ♪

♪ Bloodcurdling screams ♪

♪ But overall, he'll be thinking about his mother ♪

♪ This is your last Tango, persecutor ♪

♪ The worms in the cemetery ♪

♪ Dig corridors ♪

♪ To take you to the centre of the Earth ♪

♪ Where you will dance your first waltz ♪

♪ With death ♪

Shit, these things never work.

It works perfectly fine. Stay polite.

Guilbeau!

Hand yourself in!

You're surrounded!

You can't escape!

Take your positions around the house.

Take care of Suzy and stay in touch with central command at all times.

Could we have access to a helicopter to follow the suspect more closely?

Impossible.

The police presence cannot be obvious.

We have to be as discreet as possible.

I don't think discretion has been handled that well.

This is TNZ1 calling all cars.

This is TNZ1 calling all cars.

This is TNZ1 calling all cars.

Do not kill him.

Surround him.

Chase him

no matter how difficult the terrain

how windy the streets.

May he lose a lot of blood.

May his blood be the only trail you need to follow.

Every drop he will lose will bring you closer to him.

Wear him out like an animal.

May his muscles dry out

his morale be very low.

His gun be heavy in his hand

as if his fingers were jellyfish incapable of holding objects.

He will drop his gun.

And when he is completely exhausted...

he will fall to his knees...

Stop right there, Guilbeau!

Do everything possible to end this farce

before people leave their homes.

There will be no excuses.

Give me an update every two minutes.

The man is dressed as a young woman.

Give me an update every two minutes.

Close off this dead-end street.

Send a truck towards rue de la Tour.

Team two and team three, hold your positions.

Don't walk in the open.

Walk along the walls.

Stop or I'll shoot!

Give yourself up, Guilbeau!

It'll be better for you if you do.

Attention, all cars. Attention, all cars.

25th May 1968, 12:32

the young Inspector Mattei, 24 years old, judo black belt, has Guilbeau at his mercy.

Panicked, Guilbeau shoots at a petrol tank, which leads to an explosion.

Better late than never.

Maybe he's fled abroad.

Oh no, it must have been...

At 14:28, Guilbeau thinks about his childhood, the pain...

He is like stone, a near-inert material, crumbling, a mineral-like wound.

His childhood dream is coming back to him.

A tiny pinhead is coming towards him.

It's getting bigger and bigger.

It becomes huge.

It strangles him and wakes him up.

You'll pay, Louis.

You'll pay.

Die...

Die like an animal.

I'm not an animal.

I'm not a man.

I don't have a name

or place on this Earth.

I'm an open wound.

My mother did this to me.

A sadist.

And a lunatic.

I wasn't given the chance to be a man.

I wasn't allowed to be a man.

I grew up to be the biggest of cowards.

I was pushed into the abyss of vice

of living a life of crime

and depravity.

But you...

whose childhood was sweet

without a wrinkle on your forehead

you, Solange

I love most of all

that you, Solange

with all the others

you are the loss of an entire world of paralysed and miserable people.

15:03, Solange kills her boyfriend.

17:20, a telegram from Superintendent Sabrot

congratulates her on her courage, her consciousness and her initiative.

I'm not made for this.

Solange will plead self-defence.

1978, ten years later, Solange is the mother of three children.

She has received the Legion of Honour.

After marrying Gérard Rolland, Solange signed up to the French Communist Party.

She felt useful, still young, still beautiful.

♪ Paris ♪

♪ Muffles the screams ♪

♪ Of a girl whose throat is being slit ♪

♪ Beneath a truck cover ♪

♪ Unbearable solitude ♪

♪ Distorting everything ♪

♪ Icy solitude ♪

♪ Fracturing the city ♪

♪ Paris, melting pot of cultures ♪

♪ Paris, hare stew ♪

♪ Paris, pigeon shooting ♪

♪ I leave you my dinner jacket ♪

♪ And my love letters ♪

♪ And from the top of the Eiffel Tower ♪

♪ I'll tear apart your curtain of mist ♪

♪ To leave a veil ♪