Opinions differ on how explicit a film on animal cruelty has to be in order to make the utmost impact. Being a big fan of the documentary "Earthlings" featuring Joaquin Phoenix' voice, I'm usually off the opinion that subtlety is not the solution, but depicting the blatant cruelty as it happens is the key. That's why I also ended up liking Georges Franju's very graphic take on the matter. The parallel to the workers was nicely done, especially the contrast between the early scenes of the amusement park and everything that followed afterward, but the real "highlight" of the film where the scenes from the horse slaughterhouse or those scenes where the hooves get cut off or the cow takes the hammer to head. It's really sad and heartbreaking, especially taking into consideration that not much has changed and the rise of vegetarianism and veganism has been matched, probably surpassed, by the general rise of the world population.The narration is pretty good, especially from the female, although reading about her tragic fate is kinda sad. Nicole Ladmiral wasn't even twenty back then, but shows a great deal of intonation. The film's a bit like "Earthlings" 60 years earlier, equally brutal though much shorter and I recommend this film a lot, especially to people who want to think about their eating habits and consider a change for the better. It's one of my favorite short films and documentaries from Franju and the 1940s. With works like this, especially how early in his career this was made, it's a pity the director has kinda vanished into oblivion to everybody but film history enthusiasts.

Franju's short 1949 documentary of a Paris slaughterhouse is riveting, disturbing and beautifully filmed in black-and-white.Though the subject matter and their ultimate demise is an eye opener, the manner in which men and women butcher the beasts is the most distressing. The butcher slaughter as calmly and methodically as anyone else doing a day's work. This coincides with Franju's belief that true, genuine horror is found in every day life - not in mad scientists, creepy monsters or wild story lines far removed from reality.Regardless, the cinematography is outstanding, capturing a moment in time few get to witness.If you're curious as to how animals were slaughtered fifty years ago, or if you have a taste for the macabre, this is the thought-provoking short for you.

This film works on many different levels. As a boy living in a small northern town I remember the Abattoir, on the edge of town, a large imposing Victorian building. Across the road,a playing field, with young people kicking a ball about. In the distance the imposing lake land fells. Inside the Abattoir were scenes exactly like 'Le Sang' except there were no horses and all animals stunned with captive bolt pistols. The skill of the workers was incredible, their humour brilliant, and all of them liked animals, it was only their job that demanded they had to kill and dissect them.Le Sang depicts exactly what happened in all the Abattoirs of Europe at the time of filming! The trade is ruthless, Skilled, shocking,wet, dirty, smelly but never wantonly cruel, just efficient, but most of all shocking to those who never set foot in an abattoir.A superb subject for surrealism- but also a historical record, no more do we use the pole axe or the pithing cane when killing cattle!!

In the periphery of Paris, the fate of horses, cows and other animals in a slaughterhouse is detailed in this short documentary. My first comment about this disgusting short is that fortunately it is not in color. I believe that there are two possible views of this short: technically, my opinion is that it is perfect. The shootings of Paris, the cinematography, the camera, the skill of the workers, in this regard everything is perfectly shown. However, the theme is simply awful and of a completely bad taste. I do not know if George Franju was vegetarian, but probably his intention showing the slaughter of animals, inclusive of an offspring, was to make the viewers become vegetarian. I believe most of the pseudo-intellectual readers will not like my review, but that was my impression of this documentary. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "O Sangue das Bestas" ("The Blood of the Beasts")