Il faut tuer Birgitt Haas

Yes, around 1981 were directed some memorable french films noirs. From that year, I saw "le Choix des armes" by Alain Corneau, "Garde à vue" by Claude Miller, "Coup de torchon" by Bertrand Tavernier, "Eaux profondes" by Michel Deville,... "Il faut tuer Birgit Haas" was directed by Laurent Heynemann, a lesser known director but with some accurate talent. The spy story isn't the most interesting, the script rather concentrates on the different friendship and love stories between a terrorist (Liza Kreuzer) and a loser (Jean Rochefort) manipulated by a French special agent (Philippe Noiret, perfect as always) in conflict with his partners. This is a sad, desperate and creepy story with a surpring ending.

I hadn't seen this movie since its release in 1981 and I don't think it was frequently broadcasted on French TV. Seeing it more than 40 years after, I was still amazed by Liza Kreuzer, I just wonder how better this movie could have been with Patrick Dewaere originally casted, maybe more sulfurous.

Laurent Heyneman already gave us the terrific LA QUESTION, several years earlier, another daring piece of work. And the French movie industry also gave us in the seventies, and also early eighties, Andre Cayatte's LA RAISON D'ETAT, and other films such Michel Deville's LE DOSSIER 51, and René Gainville's LE COMPLOT. Of course I won't speak of Yves Boisset's movies, nearly all of them in the line and spirit, atmosphere of this very one. I would have imagined Marthe Keller in the Birgit Hass character, I don't why.... And Jean Rochefort is here in a such a poignant role, for this poor man's character, like a sheep or a cow destined to the slaughterhouse. It is gloomy, nasty on the meaning, but unfortunately so realistic; it shows the true but hidden face of the behind the scene manipulations from the political powers and governments who stop at anything to crush, destroy in the most ruthless way those whom they use or who are their adversaries. I loved the Jean Rochefort - Lisa Kreuzer relationship. Two persons with a fate lost in advance. No super hero here. Bernard Lecoq in an awesome but disgusting performance. But I prefered the novel from which this film is inspired, the book is far more gloomy; the ending here is a bit lousy, to please and not disturb the "sensitive" audiences.

This French/German co-production was clearly inspired by the then recent phase of nationwide terror from the German leftist "Bader-Meinhoff" organization. The title character in this multi-layered thriller is a charismatic young revolutionary who heads "Red Cell 17", an organization determined to force drastic change in German government policy, through any means necessary, regardless of cost to lives and property.

International government forces are devising a plan to "eliminate" the politically troublesome Birgitt Haas in a way that it would appear she had become entangled in a "crime of passion". Sent as "bait", a French government agent, was to become Haas' romantic interest, then set the woman up for assassination. The unexpected "twist" may be confusing, but nonetheless makes for very entertaining cinema.

I remember seeing this film on cable TV shortly after its theater run, always wishing I could find it somewhere to see it again. For fans of the genre, "Birgitt Haas Must Be Killed" will not disappoint!