Les chants de Maldoror (1977): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1977, Les chants de Maldoror is a fantasy film directed by Shūji Terayama, running about 30 minutes.

What it’s about. A “reading film” of delirious image and text, Les chants de Maldoror takes its title and inspiration from Comte de Lautréamont’s 1869 proto-Surrealist poetic novel which, for instance, describes beauty as the chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table. In the novel’s six cantos, a young misanthrope indulges in depraved and destructive acts. Unexpected encounters abound, with turtles and birds joining Terayama’s regular cast of snails and dogs to wander over books and bare torsos. Feverish video processing posterizes, inverts and overlays images that are further colored by sound—pushing the limits of his literary adaptation. Terayama wrote that the only tombstone he wanted was his words, but, as Les chants de Maldoror demonstrates, words need not be confined to carved monuments or bound hardcopies.

Who’s in it. Les chants de Maldoror stars Keiko Niitaka, Susumu Oono and Yoko Ran.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, Les chants de Maldoror has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Les chants de Maldoror page.

If you liked it. Fans of Les chants de Maldoror tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Green Mile, Spirited Away and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.