Flic Story

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.

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

'Flic Story' (1975) is one of the last films in a remarkable series of films 'noir' inspired by the world of French gangsters, made between the 1950s and the 1970s. The master of the genre was Jean-Pierre Melville, whose last film, 'Un flic' from 1972, cast Alain Delon as a crime fighting policeman. Rumor goes that when Jacques Deray undertook the making of this film inspired by a real case and true characters, after having managed to secure the participation of the two actors, he intended to give Delon the role of the gangster and Jean-Louis Trintignant that of the vigilante policeman. It would have been closer to the profiles of the previous roles played by the two, but it would have been a shame. The reversal of roles allows Trintignant to create one of the best performances of his career, and Delon is not bad at all either. The result was a film that Melville would surely have approved of.

Roger Borniche, whose memoirs inspired the film's script, had been a hero during World War II, who had enrolled in the police force because of a personal history. Idealistic, individualistic, unconventional in his choice of working methods, he often comes into conflict with his superiors and his entourage of bureaucratic colleagues, some of whom bear the burden of collaboration during the war. Having reached the position of inspector and with ambitions for advancement, he receives as a mission the capture of Emile Buisson, an escaped and extremely dangerous gangster who flees justice, robs and leaves corpses behind. The mission will not be simple and the pursuit will last many years.

The script is built as an alternation of scenes in which the policeman and the escaped criminal appear, the two meeting only at the end. The duel between Borniche and Buisson in the film translates into an artistic duel between the two great actors, among the most popular and appreciated of their generation. If a winner must be declared, he is Trintignant. They say that the roles of bad guys are easier to interpret. It may be true, but Trintignant's gaze of a killer (sometimes out of pleasure) can still freeze the blood in the veins of viewers. The criminal has one softer side: he loves Edith Piaf's music, and this will play a role in his capture, in an anthological scene. The entire cast is very well chosen and directed, the characters are credible, the milieu of crime and the police methods and stations of the 40s-50s are very authentically reconstructed. The only criticism I would make of the script is that it does not reflect the passage of time. The pursuit lasted for many years and became an obsession for the French media but also for the police, however the events unfold on screen in the almost two hours of cinema without marking the cinematic time. The screenwriters may have relied on the fact that this case was still present in the public memory of France in the 70s, but that is no longer true today. However, this is only a minor detail in an engaging and atmospheric film, which is worth watching or rewatching.

It so happened for me to watch it at the age of 54.

Had no clue whatsoever about this film.

In my book it is one proof too many that police / crime thrillers are no longer conceived in this fashion.

For the mere reason that film industry is going down the drain.

And it is a pity.

Do yourself a favour and watch it.

Regardless your generation.

Keep the flame of worthy film watching, lit.

Cheers.

A ruthless gangster (Trintignant) is on the loose and he seems to be killing for fun. But inspector Borniche (Delon) is on his tail. Set in immediate postwar France (1947) this is based on a true story (from Borniche himself). Everything about this movie is spot-on : the direction, the actors, the impeccable recreation of France in the forties, etc... Delon is perfect as the laconic inspector and Trintignant as the coldblooded gangster whose favourite handgun is the Walther P38, a Germanmade pistol (as repeated frequently in the movie). You will be at the edge of your seat : they don't make 'em like that anymore !