Un condé

Yves Boisset's "Un condé" (from the French slang for cop) is a sort of Gallic "Dirty Harry", a police thriller that raises awkward questions about how far across the line the good guys can step in order to clear up society's mess. Inspector Favenin (Michel Bouquet) undoubtedly goes too far. When his idealistic but ineffectual partner is killed pursuing the culprits of a gang revenge attack (a pursuit instigated by Favenin himself), the embittered cop, realising that conventional police methods won't work, takes matters into his own hands.

At first, it's hard to resist cheering as he takes on the worst of the gang thugs using their own methods. But when his ruthless pursuit for revenge starts to impinge on the more sympathetic characters in the story, including an essentially decent man who gets beaten up in front of his young son, we are forced to question where our sympathies lie.

Boisset's functional, low-key direction, while lacking the stylistic flamboyance of Melville, serves the story well, and makes the frequent outbursts of violence all the more shocking. Bouquet is well-cast as the soft-spoken, solitary, buttoned-up and near-psychopathic Favenin, a more complex (and scarier because unpredictable) character than Eastwood's Harry Callahan. Whereas in "Dirty Harry" the hero's methods are questionable but his goals are morally correct, Favenin clearly has more personal motives that are not necessarily consistent with the public good. Even so, his pragmatic boss is willing to overlook his actions provided they can be covered up.

In a minor role, Michel Constantin, a stalwart of many French gangster movies, gives one of his best performances here as a fatalistic hired gun; his confrontation with Favenin is a highlight of the film.

This was a rather more than faithful adaptation of the Pierre Lesou's novel. A fierce story about two vengeance schemes involved one in the other. Two friends decide to avenge the death of one of their own and then kill a cop whose his friend decides to avenge him...Follow me? You have here one of best Michel Constantin's performances ever. Don't miss him facing Michel Bouquet. His lines are unforgettable. But something is missing, if you compare to the book. HOW DAN ROVEL'S CHARACTER GETS OUT OF JAIL?

No one seems to have noticed this detail.

Typical from Yves Boisset about the power of police, and the way cops sometimes can trespass the law. A true powerful film.

Harry Callaghan and Popeye Doyle have become iconic characters since their first appearances in the early seventies and the Rogue Cop genre has remained extremely popular.

To non-European audiences Inspector Favanin is hardly likely to be a household name. His character appeared in 1970 in this film of Yves Boisset and it is well-nigh impossible fifty years on to appreciate just what an impact the film made and the obstacles its director faced to get it released without cuts. Due to its graphic violence and its depiction of the police, Boisset was obliged to go before a censorship committee one of whose members was Jean-Pierre Melville(!) and eventally its release was approved. Suffice to say its notoriety guaranteed excellent box office.

The masterstroke here is the casting, against type, of Michel Bouquet. When his friend and colleague played by Bernard Fresson is killed in the line of duty Favenin becomes an avenging angel, using any means at his disposal to track down those responsible, thereby becoming not only judge and jury but also executioner.

As one would expect from Boisset this is a study in corruption and furthermore, by the standards of its time its content is relentlessy grim, desolate and bloody. There are no romantic, folk hero types here with their particular moral codes in the style of Melville but instead beasts in the jungle. Does Favenin regret his actions? The final shot of him sitting alone is cleverly ambiguous.

Bouquet is riveting in the role and he is ably supported by Adolfo Celi, Michel Constantine, Gianni Gekko, Henri Garcin and Francoise Fabian.

Although this film undeniably broke new ground and forever transformed the genre in France, I personally harbour no desire to view it again.

Ironically, it was knocked off its top slot by 'Le Cercle Rouge' of none other than Jean-Pierre Melville!

Yves Boisset directs "Un Condé" with remarkable succintness and efficiency. To that end he is greatly assisted by Michel Bouquet's deadpan, top drawer performance, who in turn is well supported by Bernard Fresson, Adolfo Celi, Gianni Garko and the beautiful Françoise Fabian.

Inspector Favenin's character is built layer by layer and Bouquet emerges very convincingly as a copper doubling up as vigilante. The script is very good, with sharp dialogue, including copper talk in French. It would appear that this film provided some inspiration for DIRTY HARRY the following year and DEATH WISH in 1974.

Very competent and economical cinematography, reminiscent of Don Siegel's straightforward punches pulled approach to action.

I strongly recommend this film to anyone interested in film noir and in the French cinema.

Increasingly I have more respect over the real French movies, this Noir picture has a fabulous phrase said by Adolfo Celi, "Beware don't try to save the world, just defend the society as it really is" that reflects on our kind of society, when his partner and close friend L'Inspecteur Barnero (Fresson) was killed pursuing two killers, the honest L'Inspecteur Favenin (Bouquet) decides make justice by own hands, killing all them whom were involved with Barnero's death, unusual plot, Faverin an inconspicuous policeman, using all kinds of gimmicks to get his revenge, a slight cold behavior, sneaky he get in at house's assassin Villete (Constantin) there he faces the killer, a fabulous sequence, killing him like a dog, nevertheless came out the regret, even an unknown picture if look the numbers of votes at IMDB, just few 270 with seven reviews only, it has a great casting, although it's a brutal movie, violent and contemporary, a realistic picture, impressed me entirely, hope others have a change to see the hidden gem from the director Yves Boisset who displayed several allusive red posters !!

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First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5