Bleu comme l’enfer (1986) - film review

Franck, a sadistic cop, snares a small-time crook, Ned, before taking him to his home to “punish” him.  There, Franck is knocked out during a brawl with his wife Lily and her sister Carol.  The two women go on the run with Ned, whose aim is to leave the country as quickly as possible.  However, none of them has reckoned with Franck’s resilience and his determination to take revenge...

Best known for his memorable – and controversial – political thrillers of the 1970s, Yves Boisset directed this pseudo-American thriller-cum-road-movie at a time when many critics had written him off.  Whilst the film has many flaws – the absurd, rambling plot being its biggest turn off – it does stand up remarkably well when compared with similar American offerings of the period.

The film was made at a time when the traditional French policier was starting to go out of fashion in France and film directors had to work harder and harder to keep the genre fresh and appealing.  Like their American counterparts, they resorted to greater visual impact, sexy lead actors, high octane car chases and sadistic violence, all of which are present in Bleu comme l’enfer.

In spite of the fact they are each playing very familiar stereotypes, the film’s three stars (Lambert Wilson, Tchéky Karyo and Myriem Roussel) put in some commendable performances which help to sustain the film’s intense tension.  Karyo is terrific as the film’s psychopathic villain whilst Wilson makes a sympathetic and enigmatic hero.  Their two characters fit the film noir tradition in which the moral position of the law-enforcer and law-breaker are totally reversed, but with an ingenious twist at the end.

© James Travers 2004

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