La Chasse à l'homme (1964)
Directed by Edouard Molinaro

Film Review

Film director Edouard Molinaro may not be a household name but he was one of the most prolific French filmmakers of the 1960s and 1970s, during which time he directed a string of hugely successful mainstream comedies, including two featuring the comedy giant Louis de Funès (Oscar (1967) and Hibernatus (1969)).  Outside France, Molinaro is probably best known for his cult comedy La Cage aux folles (1978), which now ranks as possibly the most politically incorrect French film of all time, and the prestigious period piece Beaumarchais, l'insolent (1996).  Coming hot on the heels of his spy spoof Une ravissante idiote (1964), which gave us the unlikely combination of Anthony Perkins and Brigitte Bardot, La Chasse à l'homme was another lively Molinaro parody which vividly evokes the boisterous optimism of its time.

Typical of French romantic comedies of this era, the film takes a tongue-in-cheek but not overly cynical view of love, marriage and adultery, using slapstick and vaudeville to great effect.  Although Molinaro did make a few serious films (notably his early thriller Un témoin dans la ville (1959)) his forte was comedy, and his penchant for making people laugh served him well for most of his career.  Molinaro had no difficulty attracting big name actors and La Chasse à l'homme boasts possibly the most impressive ensemble of any of his films.  The cast combines long-established actors such as Micheline Presle, Bernard Blier and Noël Roquevert with a host of rising stars including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Michel Serrault, Claude Rich and a young Catherine Deneuve at the start of her illustrious career, along with her equally talented sister Françoise Dorléac.  By casting such actors as Belmondo, Jean-Claude Brialy and Marie Laforêt, Molinaro clearly had his sights set on the French New Wave, and La Chasse à l'homme at times feels like an evil send up of the Nouvelle vague pretensions of Godard, Truffaut, et al.

With its lush black and white photography and stunning locations (the Island of Rhodes provides a glorious backdrop for the second half of the film), La Chasse à l'homme is a sumptuous production that prefigures the extravagant big budget French comedies that were to follow in the 1960s.  Michel Magne's vibrant score, which combines bossa nova jazz with hunting motifs, adds further lustre to the film, although the main attraction is Michel Audiard's gag-packed script, which offers a festival of hilarious wisecracks.   La Chasse à l'homme may not be Molinaro's best film but it was a box office hit (attracting 1.7 million spectators on its first release in France) and is a satisfying treat for those who like their comedies sweet and frothy.

Film Synopsis

'Don't do it!' pleads Julien when his best friend Antoine is about to get married to his sweetheart Gisèle.  A confirmed bachelor who would rather be ritually disembowelled than have the matrimonial yoke thrust over his shoulders, Julien does everything within his power to dissuade his friend from marrying.  He cites as an example Fernand, the waiter who is serving them in the restaurant.  He was once a free man, but now he is a prisoner, chained to a domineering wife who will never let him out of her sight for a moment.  Julien then recalls how he was blackmailed into marriage by his scheming secretary, Denise, after she got into his bed without him knowing it.  Mercifully, the marriage did not last long. 

Julien's litany of horrors continues to flow into Antoine's ears until finally the groom-to-be can bear it no more.  His confidence in his fiancée now ripped to shreds, Antoine abandons his marriage plans and sets off alone on the intended honeymoon cruise, giving Gisèle's ticket to Fernand.  During the cruise, Antoine quickly falls under the spell of another attractive young woman, Sandra.  Little does he suspect that this seemingly perfect creature is only interested in men for the money she can extort from them.  The next thing Antoine knows he is being accused of espionage when a Greek policeman finds some compromising documents in his briefcase.  It is all part of Sandra's plot to fleece the unsuspecting goon...