Ordure de flic...

Lou Ford is the Deputy Sheriff of a small mining town of Central City Texas. He's one friendly, well-respected man of the community, who doesn't believe carrying around a gun in a well-balanced town. Though there's another side to Lou that no one else knows about. He has a past-inflicted schizophrenic trait, which causes him to snap when pushed by a hooker Joyce Lakeland.

After watching director Burt Kennedy's obscured potboiler "Wolf Lake" not too long ago, he surprised me again with this curiously hypnotic psycho-thriller. Adapted from the novel of Jim Thompson, this diluted psychological study focus on a fatigue mind cracking under the insanity of something that's just too troubling to conceal without simply leading to dangerous lash-outs. The way Kennedy leisurely paces the opening half of the film is there to build upon that genuine feel created between Keach's character and the townsfolk. That when the sudden change in character and appearance takes hold, it has manipulated us into like everyone else that his character couldn't do a thing like that. The well-devised plot (which has a noir touch and a quietly disturbing streak within it) keeps an unpredictable rhythm about it and that also could be put down to Stacy Keach's blindingly full-rounded performance as the shadily relaxed and soft spoken town Sheriff Lou Ford. He manages to demonstrate a moodily emotional attachment to this troubled soul that becomes horrifyingly more chilling as the film goes on. This goes for how things seem to fall into place with a little help in making sure they do so. The story falls more into the mould of a character builder, organising and analysing its true intentions and dark insight than an all-out thriller looking for a jolt every couple minutes. For a small budget, Kennedy's direction is reliably accomplished along with William Fraker's vigorously grounded cinematography. Cooked up was a misguidedly, piercing tuneful sounding music score by Tim McIntire and John Rubinstein. Stacy Keach was terrific, but the supporting cast were just as good. A vivid Susan Tyrell (who was with Keach in "Fat City (1972)") added a scorning touch to her hooker Joyce. Don Stroud is fitting as the Mayor's loutish son Elmer. Tisha Sterling is sweetly likable as Ford's lady Amy Stanton. Keenan Wynn and John Carradine (in an entertaining small role) are solid in their parts.

An interestingly dark and well-written item with prominent performances (Keach and Tyrell), although its far from gob-smacking. Actually it has made me more interested in reading the book.

The low budget and the talent of Burt Kennedy (working in a rare venture outside the western genre) add to the striking atmosphere of this largely unseen, barely released Jim Thompson adaptation. After the critically lauded Fat City, Stacy Keach had quite a few star turns in alternative fare during the 70s, of which this is among the best (though his decade-wrapper with The Ninth Configuration is awfully hard to beat.)

Susan Tyrell rejoins him here after her acclaimed Fat City turn, with many terrific character actors throughout the cast. Technical work is top-drawer with the William Fraker photography as good as ever.

One of the first budget DVD's released, (naturally unletterboxed) the Panavision cries out for a redo. Sadly, the small resurgence in Thompson adaptations in the early 90s ended rather quickly; still plenty of great material there for dedicated crime filmmakers.

This isn't a waste of time, nor is it one to fervently hunt for. It certainly could have done better for the brilliant author, Jim Thompson, and talented star Stacy Keach.

One problem is the slow development. It takes seemingly forever to get into the schizophrenic aspects of the character. I have seen films where such slow development is well handled with skillful forewarning of what is to come. Unfortunately, that's not the case here.

Veteran actors, Keenan Wynn, Royal Dano, and John Carradine show up here and buffs might find it worth watching this just to see their appearances.

All in all, it's an okay movie, but don't risk breaking your neck to see it...it's not worth it, pal.

Based on one of Jim Thompson's best novels, this sleeper went largely unnoticed in the mid-70's despite an excellent lead performance by Stacy Keach as Lou Ford, mild-mannered Montana deputy-sheriff whom everybody in the small town of Central City likes. An upcoming election, angry miners, and a hooker on the edge of town stir up trouble within the town and Keach.

The relationship between Keach and Susan Tyrrell as the hooker is one of the more intriguing cinematic couplings, made even more so in light of their recent work as a pair of drunks in Huston's "Fat City". Their actions are anything but predictable. Western-vet Burt Kennedy handles the direction chores ably, though the film is obviously constricted by a low-budget. Location work helps, and cinematographer William Fraker captures some nice "big sky" shots. However, several other scenes are poorly lit, with one straining to find the principals in the darkness and shadows. Considering the pro background of Kennedy and Fraker, I wonder if this was a comment on the characters' dark, shadowy personalities ... Another minor complaint is the music score, which seems wrong and intrusive at times.

The film has several veteran character actors, among them Royal Dano, John Carradine (in a nice scene with Keach toward the end), John Dehner, and Keenan Wynn. Best of all though is Don Stroud as Elmer, perhaps his quintessential beer-swilling, hot-headed, good ol' boy role. He balances his character's violent tendencies with a fair degree of bawdy humor (some would seem to be improvised), and would simply walk away with the picture if it were not for Keach being so strong and interesting in the lead. Certainly worth a look for the performances and subject matter.

Yes, this was the original that sparked off the not so good and badly favored remake, that we didn't really need, though personally, I'm glad we got. Is this one better? What do you think. Yes. Of course. Like Affleck who was amazing in the remake, Keach gives another individualized performance of excellence like to Afleck's, which again is riveting and compelling, as a reason to watch. But Keach also is matched by Susan Tyrell, looking her sexiest and is so darn cute here, in the role as the white trashy harlot (Alba's in the remake). The plot is basically the same with unbalanced cop, but all psycho ness aside (my own word there) is forced to kill, backed into a corner when blackmailed, by you know who. Don Stroud, one of the great 70's actors, is just well.... great and fun too, as rowdy and not too bright, love struck dummy, Elmore, who does has feelings, not so really, when getting smashed over the head with a bottle, by an offended party. This movie is so beautifully and well shot, and made, with music to suit. One too will judge the difference in the standard of violence and the rating system, to nowadays, where the MA remake was much bloodier than the limited gore in this R pic. It's crazy. There's some really confining moments of terror, we get off Keach, but there's not really any shocks or surprises, but the ending that ensued, sucked, a real, downfall of ordinary, and was Tyrell an apparition at the end? You decide.