Flic Story

It's refreshing to watch a movie that gives the impression someone actually wrote a script about a story they wanted to tell and the story makes sense. It doesn't happen so often nowadays when most movies are self-indulgent; open-endedly boring or patronizing.

Delon and Trintignant, two of the biggest French stars of the 70s are respectively Borniche (the cop) and the killer-robber Buisson. The story is told in a linear way - thank you! - without special effects and only one car chase, short and realist enough.

Borniche is a top detective charged to find Buisson, a cold-hearted, pitiless criminal who escaped from prison. Loosely based on a real story - the chase lasted several years - Borniche is a sort of good cop, interested only in justice and reprimanding is "bad cop" colleagues, while there isn't much justification for Buisson violence. Therefore, the moral compass isn't too skewed.

I watched this in French and being my first Delon/Trintignant film, I was disappointed only by their ordinary, unsexy voices. Trintignant was especially chilly as the criminal, Delon convincing as the quiet cop, violence was few and far between and even more shocking because shown in all its meaningless brutality.

For those who didn't know the criminal history of France : Emile Buisson, born in 1902, started his robbers' life during the 30's, with his older brother. He get married, but his wife and their child died while he was in jail. And after this tragedy, Buisson became a killer. From jailhouses to asylums, Buisson finally escaped in 1947. For three years, almost 20 people were murdered, coldly, brutally shot by Emile. All victims of robberies, or thieves suspected for betraying Buisson. He was the first one in France to be called "P.E.n°1". It's these three years which are counted in "Flic Story". The young inspector Borniche had a lot of work to do in order to arrest Buisson. And he succeeded in 1950. And that wasn't the end. For four years, every crime was studied, dissected. In 1954, Buisson was condemned to die. Twice. On the dawn of February 28th, 1956, in the Santé Prison, M.Obrecht, the executioner, released the guillotine's chopper on Buisson's neck.

But if Borniche hadn't wrote his book, nobody would even remember about Buisson. The book is really good. So is the movie. Trintignant is probably too cute to play Buisson, but he gives a real performance : a real dead cold assassin. You have to like Delon, of course, even if he is great as Borniche ! (I think he is unbearable !) A good police movie !

One the most scabrous real case on France about a great criminal called Emile Buisson played glowingly by Jean-Louis Trintignant a true mad-dog, coldest killer, the movie starts when he escaped from prison in 1947, the Lieutenant Roger Borniche (Alain Delon) a sort of good manners cop and hard smoking man who want be promoted, then came up the golden opportunity, he was nominee to catch Buisson, due his fine background and sustained by his greedy and bad temper Chief Vieuchene (Marco Perrin) and leading a fine task force, in other hand Buisson exposes so much killing in same day an informer, giving hints for an aware and skillful Roger Borniche, in next day he sets up a siege at Buisson hideout, arresting his brother Jean-Baptiste, his partner Renee Bollec and Suzanne Bollec, Buisson had a luck and nerve to escape jumping over the dangerous roof to get the streets, through many contacts on underground's crime he was hidden on a distant farmer, between robbers and killings the cautious Buisson was so near to be arrest for Borniche, always slipping away on last minute, after exhaustive three years he bribes a Buisson's partner to reach him, Alain is great as always, but somehow Trintignant overtaken him on an outstanding and remarkable performance, the French cinema is growing in my conception so fast due the realistic pictures!!!

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First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

The best performances for both Trintignant and Delon, based on a true story dig in the criminal files of the French police. Classical, nothing unexpected but so brilliantly made, pulled by excellent acting and directing. Trintignant told later that he disliked the character he played here, so far from his own sensibility; and that's precisely for this reason that's his performance is awesome. The true definition of a true actor, who can play characters totally different from himself. Don't miss his glance, his terrific and terrifying glance, maybe more terrifying than the real Emile Buisson himself. One of most cold blooded killer that the movie- and not only French - industry has ever shown. Great ending too.

Sitting through this for the first time I was under the delusion it had been directed by Melville, although it didn't seem to be quite his style. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't, but by someone called Deray, whom I'd never heard of. The history of the pursuit, over several years, of a dedicated cop after an unrestrained and ruthless thief and killer, it turns out to be a masterpiece, with depth. Gradually it grows clear that the two men are psychologically related: two sides of one coin. It dawns on the viewer, or it did on this one, that it's to be doubted if there's anything that can be called free will. Both men are creatures of circumstance, who have not really chosen their destinies. There is a curious rapport between them. Cops need robbers, like cowboys need Indians. Each can look on the other and think: there, but for arbitrary fortune, go I. Buisson's use of his gun seems as natural and spontaneous as any of Tarantino's reservoir dogs. Borniche suffers his own harassment and pressures. No man chooses his birth or the pattern of his life. Or does he ? A thought-inducing experience.