La Guerre des polices
1979 Crime / Drama
Credits
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Summary
One night, police commissioner Ballestrat is about to arrest Hector
Sarlat, the most wanted criminal in France, when a rival police squad
led by Jacques Fush makes an unexpected appearance. In the
confusion that ensues, a policeman is shot dead and Sarlat manages to
escape. Hearing of this blunder, the minister of the interior
insists that Ballestrat and Fush work together to capture Sarlat in the
shortest possible time. Unfortunately, the two men each regards
the assignment as a personal crusade and cooperation is the last thing
they are about to offer each other...
Review
La Guerre des polices is a
fine example of the kind of hardboiled, gritty French thriller that
emerged in the late 1970s, following the trend for greater realism and
explicit violence that had been set by Hollywood filmmakers.
Inspired by a true story, the film gives a credible, indeed disturbing,
portrayal of the kind of internecine conflict that was known to exist
between the various strata of the French police system at the time.
In what was his second full length film, director Robin Davis brings a distinctly hard edge to the traditional French polar, laying the groundwork for the tougher crime thrillers which followed in the early 1980s (and which are still in vogue today). Whereas many films of this genre and this era feel somewhat dated, La Guerre des polices still holds up remarkably, thanks to Davis’s assured direction, a well-honed script and the sterling contributions from a talented cast. Of particular note on the acting front is Claude Brasseur, who was awarded the Best Actor César for his role in this film. © filmsdefrance.com 2009 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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