An opening title card tells us that in the early 1960s, professional wrestling in France was at the height of its popularity. The start of the film finds Victor, a bruiser recently returned home from the French Foreign Legion, rudderless and without a job. His pal Simon is making a living as The Specter, a masked wrestler who happens to be in need of an adversary. Simon's unsavory bosses groom Victor into The Butcher of Belleville, and the two set about making their benefactors loads of francs. But before long the job is doing a number on both men. Adulation without recognition rankles their egos. Surrendering their identities to literal black and white avatars of good and evil isn't helping their extant existential concerns.
An homage to french new wave and crime films ? A modern film noir ? An existential kitchen-sink drama ? "Our heroes died tonight" refuse categorization and is always surprising. The third act for example, in a wax museum, is totally unusual and creepy... But before that, it's moving (great women characters), strange, surrealist, suspenseful. I saw this very unique film in Fantastic Fest and since, I can't stop thinking of it. Denis Ménochet as Victor (the farmer from "Inglourious Basterds") is fascinating and the other characters are unforgettable too... Cinematography is outstanding, every frame is pristine. A little gem of a film !
