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Les Assassins de l'ordre
1971 Crime / Drama
Review
Marcel Carné’s penultimate fictional film is a superlative
example of the kind of gritty political thriller that would become
highly popular in France in the mid to late 1970s. This
néo-polar, popularised by such highly regarded directors as Yves
Boisset and José Giovanni, reflected failings in the French
judicial and political system at the time, in the aftermath of the May
’68 protests and the collapse of the De Gaulle presidency.
An atypical kind of film for Carné, who is best known for his
dark romantic dramas, Les Assassins
de l’ordre demonstrates the versatility of one of France’s
greatest filmmakers.Carné made this film at a time when the critics, including those self-appointed executioners on the Cahiers du cinéma (François Truffaut, et al.), had all but destroyed his reputation as a serious filmmaker. It was, and still is, a mystery why a man who had such an impact on French cinema in the pre-WWII era, who was so highly thought of in other countries, should be so reviled in his native France. Naturally, when Les Assassins de l’ordre was first released it was torn to shreds by the critics, and Carné was charged with aping another filmmaker, André Cayatte, as if the latter had the monopoly on judicial dramas. It may not be Marcel Carné’s greatest film but Les Assassins de l’ordre is a good example, if not one of the best examples, of its genre. The aura that pervades the film, so quintessentially néo-polar, is palpable yet indefinable. Carné’s direction is subtle, almost minimalist, avoiding the stylistic excesses that undermined the realism of other contemporary crime dramas. What makes this such a memorable film is an arresting performance from its lead actor, Jacques Brel in possibly the greatest role of his career. Brel’s portrayal of an ordinary magistrate determined to shed light on the unlawful killing of a police detainee is poignant and inspiring. There are some great contributions from the supporting cast - particularly Charles Denner and Catherine Rouvel – but it is Jacques Brel who sells the film and makes us reflect on the need to fight against corruption so that we may have a just and safe society. In common with many of Marcel Carné’s later films, Les Assassins de l’ordre is far better than the critics would have us believe and definitely deserves a serious reappraisal. © filmsdefrance.com 2009 Write a review for this film...User Comments
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Director:
Marcel Carné
Starring: Jacques Brel, Catherine Rouvel, Paola Pitagora, Charles Denner, Michael Lonsdale Synopsis
Judge Level is investigating the death of a man named Saugeat, who died
shortly after being arrested for a minor offence by two police
inspectors one December morning. No one seems to want to offer
any testimony, other than the prostitute Danièle Lebegue, who
calls on Level as soon as she hears the news of Saugeat’s death.
She tells the judge that she couldn’t come earlier because she was
instructed by Chief Inspector Bertrand to leave Paris for a short
while. It becomes apparent to Level that someone is trying to
hide something from him...
© Willems Henri (Brussels, Belgium) Credits
 More French Drama |
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© filmsdefrance.com 2009