Le Grand pardon
1982 Drama / Thriller
Credits
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Summary
Raymond Bettoun is the head of a notorious Jewish pied-noir gangster family. For
years, Commissaire Douche has fought to bring him to justice – without success.
Bettoun’s ruthlessness is amply demonstrated when he arranges for a killer to escape
from police custody, knowing full well that the killer’s first act will be to eliminate
his only serious rival, Carreras. Resentful of Bettoun’s power, one of his
associates, Pascal Villars, decides to bring an end to his empire. By driving a
wedge between Arab and Jewish factions, Villars unleashes a blood bath which, in the
end, only Bettoun can arrest.
Review
Despite its lavish production values and an extraordinary cast, Le Grand pardon
can only stand as a pale apology for a gangster film when set aside some of the better
examples of the genre. Roger Hanin’s portrayal of a gangland boss is pure
caricature, as is much of the rambling plot and pitifully weak characterisation.
The film’s only saving grace is a chilling performance from Bernard Giraudeau as
the story’s principal bad guy. Unfortunately, the film is just too long, too incoherent
and too dull to be remotely enjoyable. However, it is not quite so bad as its misfired
sequel, Le Grand pardon II, which came ten years later.
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