"An exquisite, unhysterical study of obsession and the struggle for dominance" (Georges Sadoul), Les Biches is perhaps the first and best example of the fearful symmetry out of which Chabrol creates his architecture of emotions. Les Biches' triangle involves lesbian lovers, the independently wealthy Frédèrique (Stéphane Audran) and Why (Jaqueline Sassard), who ekes out a living painting does on the sidewalks of Paris until Frédèrique takes her to her mansion by the sea, a dolce vita affair in Saint Tropez. Paul (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is the man whom Why inadvertently lures into Frédèrique's life. The arcs and sides keep changing-Why loves Paul first, but when the possessive Frédèrique moves in, Why is in the doubly hapless position of living with two people who have jilted her-shedding more ambiguity than light on the characters. For the light, we must look to mise-en-scène, finding, as Andrew Sarris wrote, "Chabrol's personal obsessions: Confusion of Identity, Poetry of Stupidity and Mediocrity...An appreciation of Les Biches depends on an appreciation of the director's attitude toward his characters...It is not Sassard looking yearningly at Trintignant and Audran that is at issue here, but rather Chabrol gazing compassionately at the entire spectacle."