La Guerre des polices (1979) - film review

One night, police commissioner Ballestrat is about to arrest Hector Sarlat, the most wanted criminal in France, when a rival police squad led by Jacques Fush makes an unexpected appearance.  In the confusion that ensues, a policeman is shot dead and Sarlat manages to escape.  Hearing of this blunder, the minister of the interior insists that Ballestrat and Fush work together to capture Sarlat in the shortest possible time.  Unfortunately, the two men each regards the assignment as a personal crusade and cooperation is the last thing they are about to offer each other...

La Guerre des polices is a fine example of the kind of hardboiled, gritty French thriller that emerged in the late 1970s, following the trend for greater realism and explicit violence that had been set by Hollywood filmmakers.  Inspired by a true story, the film gives a credible, indeed disturbing, portrayal of the kind of internecine conflict that was known to exist between the various strata of the French police system at the time.  

In what was his second full length film, director Robin Davis brings a distinctly hard edge to the traditional French polar, laying the groundwork for the tougher crime thrillers which followed in the early 1980s (and which are still in vogue today).  Whereas many films of this genre and this era feel somewhat dated, La Guerre des polices still holds up remarkably, thanks to Davis’s assured direction, a well-honed script and the sterling contributions from a talented cast.   Of particular note on the acting front is Claude Brasseur, who was awarded the Best Actor César for his role in this film.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

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