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Le choix des armes

  • 1981
  • 12
  • 2h 15m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, and Yves Montand in Le choix des armes (1981)
CrimeDrama

The powerful story of a reformed underworld kingpin whose stable lifestyle is turned upside-down when a desperate, escaped killer hides out at his rural estate.The powerful story of a reformed underworld kingpin whose stable lifestyle is turned upside-down when a desperate, escaped killer hides out at his rural estate.The powerful story of a reformed underworld kingpin whose stable lifestyle is turned upside-down when a desperate, escaped killer hides out at his rural estate.

  • Director
    • Alain Corneau
  • Writers
    • Alain Corneau
    • Michel Grisolia
  • Stars
    • Yves Montand
    • Gérard Depardieu
    • Catherine Deneuve
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    2.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alain Corneau
    • Writers
      • Alain Corneau
      • Michel Grisolia
    • Stars
      • Yves Montand
      • Gérard Depardieu
      • Catherine Deneuve
    • 14User reviews
    • 24Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos71

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    Top cast34

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    Yves Montand
    Yves Montand
    • Noel Durieux
    Gérard Depardieu
    Gérard Depardieu
    • Mickey
    Catherine Deneuve
    Catherine Deneuve
    • Nicole Durieux
    Michel Galabru
    Michel Galabru
    • Bonnardot
    Gérard Lanvin
    Gérard Lanvin
    • Sarlat
    Jean-Claude Dauphin
    • Ricky
    Jean Rougerie
    Jean Rougerie
    • Raymond Constantini
    Christian Marquand
    Christian Marquand
    • Jean
    Etienne Chicot
    Etienne Chicot
    • Roland Davout
    Richard Anconina
    Richard Anconina
    • Dany
    Pierre Forget
    Pierre Forget
    • Serge Olivier
    Roland Blanche
    • Fernand
    Marc Chapiteau
    Marc Chapiteau
    • Savin
    Jean-Claude Bouillaud
    • Andre
    Antoine Baud
    Gérard Baume
      René Bériard
      Michel Caron
      • Director
        • Alain Corneau
      • Writers
        • Alain Corneau
        • Michel Grisolia
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews14

      6.92.1K
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      Featured reviews

      6dromasca

      generation wars

      'Choice of Arms' (the French title is 'Le choix des armes') made in 1981 is a very typical film for the genre of film noir in the French cinema of the 70s and 80s. The master of the genre was Jean-Pierre Melville who died in 1973, leaving behind only 14 films, but a few masterpieces among them. Alain Corneau, the director of 'Choice of Arms' was one of his followers. This film shows his professional qualities, and withstands the test of time, mainly due to its stellar cast.

      This is the story of the aftermath of an escape from prison, of the mob milieu friends of the evaders who shelter and help them, and of the cops who are following them, a story that tragically turns bad and worse as it advances. As in many films of the genre, the two worlds - crime and law - are interlinked by sometimes invisible threads. In each of them two generations are confronted, the old generation of active or retired gangsters and policemen on one side, the young violent criminals and ambitious policemen on the other side. Corruption rules at all levels. Good intentions and human feelings hardly survive the pursuits and shootings.

      The cinematographic production is quite minimalist. Part of the story takes place in the streets and on muddy country roads, with the street corners and intersections playing an important role in the action. Sumptuous villas and the overcrowded apartments in the 'banlieus' clearly separate the social categories. The color palette is very strictly controlled, the film could have been very well made in black and white. Gérard Depardieu plays here the role of a criminal, disturbed young man, anti-social beyond any hope, who destroys everything around, and first of all destroys his own life. Depardieu does not show yet the charisma and especially the humor that characterize many of his later great roles, he has moments of overacting, but the hopeless uncertainty and the aspiration to get out of the vicious circle of crime are excellently rendered. Yves Montand and Catherine Deneuve form a couple that seems to descend from another film, but precisely the contrast between his carved by life noble calm together with her vulnerable beauty and the brutal story and the acts of violence around manage to create drama and tension. The soundtrack is also very interesting. At times, the violins and sentimental melodies in the style of the 50s are used annoyingly, but in other jazz improvisations on guitar and soul music (Janis Joplin if I'm not mistaken) are a perfect match for what happens on screen. 'Choice of Arms' may not be Alain Corneau's best film, but it is worth watching or re-watching.
      9brogmiller

      Mickey le Dingue.

      Alain Corneau began as assistant to Costa-Gavras so it is only fitting that as a fully-fledged director he should work with Yves Montand. This fine actor had previously starred in 'Le Cercle Rouge' for Jean-Pierre Melville and of the three policier/polar noirs that Corneau and Montand were to make this last one is the nearest to the Melvillian style, in terms of pacing, atmosphere, its depiction of the criminal 'code' and the wafer thin distinction between the gangsters and the guardians of law and order. This is very much a man's world and a pretty cold and brutal one it is at that.

      Montand is Noel, a former underworld figure who has used his ill-gotten gains to finance an extremely comfortable lifestyle as a breeder of thoroughbreds but is obliged by an unexpected train of events to revert to the law of the jungle. On the other side of the coin is the deranged psychopath and prison escapee Mickey of Gérard Depardieu who is humanised only by his love for his child which mirrors Noel's love for Catherine Deneuve as Nicole, his wife. Although their backgrounds and social milieus could not be more strikingly different, both men have more in common than they realise and ultimately(SPOILER COMING) the orphaned child becomes the indissoluble link between them. A further contrast is offered between the old school police chief of Michel Calabru and the intense, trigger-happy, fanatical young inspector of Gérard Lanvin.

      This is a well constructed piece with a measured pace that allows the characters to develop and with an utterly riveting second half. It is beautifully shot by Pierre William Glenn, tautly scripted by former critic Michel Grisolia and atmospherically scored by Philippe Sarde.

      Nicole is assuredly not the most demanding role that Catherine Deneuve has been called upon to play but the simpatico between her and the magnificent Montand is palpable and helps the film to work. They had earlier worked together on the rom-com 'Le Sauvage'. Likewise there could not be a greater contrast between this and her recent collaboration with Depardieu, 'Le Dernier Metro'. He is larger than life here but always 'true' which is a difficult balance to strike and as usual brings his air of unpredictability. Many have lamented that with maturity he has rather 'let himself go' but when Montand, who worked with him three times, referred to him as 'THE actor of his generation', he wasn't far wrong.
      8rsoonsa

      Competently Structured Tale Of Criminal Society.

      A gracefully paced and ably directed work featuring highly talented players, including Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve, along with Yves Montand, LE CHOIX DES ARMES is generally successful as cinematic art, although it must be stressed that it should properly be viewed in its French language format, since the subtitled American release is harshly cut and reveals post-production efforts not at all sympathetic with the original release. An escaped convict and killer, Mickey (Depardieu), chooses to hide from police pursuit upon the lavish estate of former organized crime doyen Noel Durrieux (Montand) and his wife Nicole (Deneuve, with a wonderfully layered interpretation of her rôle), but when detectives come near, Mickey flees to Paris, although he soon returns, bringing about a conflict between two criminal codes after Mickey believes that Durrieux has informed police of the escapee's location. There are carefully fleshed out parts here for numerous characters as the two principal antagonists career toward an inevitable climactic meeting, it becoming increasingly apparent that there are lessons to be learned beyond those of the scenario and they may not be divulged by ancillary figures. Auteur Corneau's metronomic tone mates well with the script's finely balanced, rather spare, dialogue, and with a complex plot not immediately pervious to a viewer, the film benefits from the director's ability to weave a diverse cast of characters into a discriminatory dramatic construction. Deneuve earns acting honours, while Depardieu is highly effective as a sociopath savaged by paranoia yet displaying a wide range of emotional engagement with disparate characters, and Montand is icily persuasive as a "retired" mob leader who is forced to reenter his past in the hope of achieving safety for him and his wife. Following a slowly gaited but logical storyline is difficult with the extensive cutting performed upon the film's U.S. version, that is burdened as well with poor sound transference and largely inferior processing, very unfortunate in this instance of a solidly crafted motion picture that deserves better.
      patrice vatan

      Painting of an underworld

      On the basis of a very traditional diagram, almost austere in its banality, Michel Grisolia, the scenario writer, gave his realizer a springboard from which this last built a true psychological drama, rich of subtle nuances and learnedly worked drafts. The police aspect interests less Corneau than the painting of the underworld, than the denunciation of the police methods or than the purulent proletarian company of today. The setting in scene is fantastic and remarkable is interpretation (Depardieu!), let us announce however a light Manicheism and certain doubtful psychological analyses.
      8bob998

      Overlong but fascinating

      With Melville's death, Tavernier and Corneau became the masters of French film noir, but the latter has the dreamlike mood that the genre really needs to be effective. Le choix des armes has many effective scenes (usually involving either Depardieu or Lanvin) but sometimes leaves us cold. There is a little too much exposition in the storytelling--why show us Montand and his buddy smashing up the gang lord's opulent house when there is no dramatic effect to be gained? Or the elaborate four-way car pursuit (did the budget allow for all those stunt-drivers, so Corneau thought Why not?).

      The acting is mostly exceptional. The young Gérard Lanvin gives us a very frustrated young detective, Michel Galabru is his burnt-out superior, Richard Anconina plays a man trying to settle down to happy domesticity and failing, and Depardieu is simply great as Mickey le dingue, crazy and moving at the same time. The woman who plays Dany's wife with burning resentment takes over every scene she's in.

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      Storyline

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      Did you know

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      • Trivia
        The German dubbed 35mm Dolby Stereo prints did have a sound error: parts within each reel were side-reversed, i.e. what was intended to be heard from the left front speaker was actually heard from the right front speaker.
      • Connections
        Referenced in Girare Le choix des armes (2007)
      • Soundtracks
        La Choix Des Armes (Main Title)
        Written by Philippe Sarde

        Performed by London Symphony Orchestra

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      FAQ

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      Details

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      • Release date
        • August 19, 1981 (France)
      • Country of origin
        • France
      • Languages
        • French
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Choice of Arms
      • Filming locations
        • La Courneuve, Seine-Saint-Denis, France(apartment complex)
      • Production companies
        • France 2 (FR2)
        • Parafrance Films
        • Sara Films
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

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      • Runtime
        2 hours 15 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Dolby
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.35 : 1

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      Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, and Yves Montand in Le choix des armes (1981)
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