An Impartial Eye

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In the late 1970s, Monsieur Humbert works as a sales agent at C. C. (Cuirs et Confection) and occasionally serves as a "photographer" during executions. His role involves securing the condemned at the moment the guillotine's blade falls. The days leading up to the execution date are filled with meticulous and ritualistic preparations, perhaps to eliminate any doubts in a life that has been otherwise flawless. As he receives a letter from the prosecutor notifying him of his assignment for an execution at Baumettes, Humbert reflects on the notoriety of the condemned man, whose case has attracted public attention. The routine of his grim profession juxtaposes the weight of impending death with the mundanity of his everyday life, revealing the psychological complexities of a man who must confront the finality of his actions while maintaining a façade of normalcy.