Cartouche (1962)
Directed by Philippe de Broca

Film Review

This film is a curious mix of comedy, swash-buckling adventure, romance and tragic drama.  Whilst it succeeds to some extent in all of these areas, the overall ensemble feels strangely lacking.  It is interesting to compare this with one of Philippe de Broca's later films, his 1997 film Le Bossu, which follows a similar path, but far, far more successfully.  Somehow, in Cartouche, the humour feels overdone, often degenerating to tedious farce, whilst the transition to tragic drama in the last part of the film, whilst touching, lacks conviction and sincerity.

Jean-Paul Belmondo puts on a fine, gusto performance as the hero Cartouche, clearly the star player in quite a respectable cast.  Belmondo seems perfectly suited to the semi-comic, semi-romantic role, never failing to impress as the man of action, the hero - partly as a consequence of the actor's insistence to perform his own stunts (something which would become the actor's trademark). Belmondo and Philippe de Broca would later team up for some of their most exuberant comedies, including L'Homme de Rio (1964), Les Tribulations d'un chinois en Chine (1965) and Le Magnifique (1973).

Although some of the early fight scenes look half-hearted and overly repetitive, the fights are generally well choreographed - particularly the final battle between soldiers and bandits which ends the film.  This constant action does however give the film a pace which it is sometimes hard to keep up with.  Nevertheless, this is compensated for by a fairly good script, some very fine photography, and a sumptuous musical score from one of France's best-known  film musicians: Georges Delerue.

This kind of semi-serious historical romp was incredibly popular in France in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  Cartouche proved to be a surprising hit at the box office, with over three and a half million tickets sold in France alone - although the film's down-beat ending was generally badly received, probably because it broke with accepted convention.

Film Synopsis

France in the early 1700s.  Calling himself Cartouche, Louis Dominique Bourguignon belongs to a gang of Parisian thieves led by the tyrannical Malichot.  After rebelling against his leader, Cartouche takes flight and enlists in the French army, where he meets his future criminal associates La Douceur and La Taupe.  Army life does not suit Cartouche, so he and his new friends abscond with their regiment's funds.   In a bar, he comes to the defence of a gypsy girl, Vénus, when she is molested by two policemen.  Vénus accompanies Cartouche back to Paris, where his first act is to take control of Malichot's gang.  Cartouche's daring exploits make him the sworm enemy of the police chief De Ferrussac, whose beautiful wife Isabelle proves to be a temptation the crook cannot resist.  Cartouche arranges to meet Isabelle in secret, but Malichot tips off the police and the thief is caught in a trap with no prospect of escape...