La Course du lièvre à travers les champs (1972)
Directed by René Clément

Film Review

For his penultimate film, La Course du lièvre à travers les champs, director René Clément takes his inspiration from the American thriller of the time, adapting David Goodis's novel Black Friday.  As on his previous thriller Le Passager de la pluie (1969), Clément pairs a star of French cinema (Jean-Louis Trintignant) with a Hollywood icon (Robert Ryan), but with somewhat less successful results.  Both actors are on fine form but their efforts are thwarted by a truly dire script.  Bogged down in a plot that is excuciatingly convoluted and implausible, this second balade américaine soon becomes repetitive and boring, and Clément's attempts to instil some life into the stillborn drama with some distractingly arty mise-en-scène merely makes matters worse.  It is worth noting that Emmanuelle Béart made her screen debut in this film, instantly attracting our attention as a little girl stuffing her face with apple pie, but apart from that it has no real claim to fame.  René Clément directed many great films in his career but this dull, lumbering monstrosity is definitely not one of them.

Film Synopsis

Antoine Cardot is tried in France for killing some gypsy children with his aeroplane.   When the court decides the deaths were the result of a tragic accident, Antoine is set free.  This verdict incenses the families of the dead children, who vow to kill Antoine.  The latter decides to start a new life in Canada, unaware that the gypsies are waiting for him.  Fleeing his would-be assassins, Antoine witnesses the murder of Julius Reiner, a former policeman who double-crossed his partners in crime.  Having been taken prisoner by three hoodlums - Rizzio, Mattone and Paul - Antoine escapes and makes his way to the gangsters' hideout.  Here he meets the leader, Charley, his mistress, Sugar, and his protégée, Pepper.  Mattone and Pepper want Antoine dead but Charley and Sugar, realizing that he is hiding from the murderous gypsies, agree to protect him Antoine.  Aware that the gang is planning a kidnapping in Montreal, Antoine offers his assistance but gets trapped in a dangerous love affair...