La Menace
1977 Crime / Thriller
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Credits
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Summary
Dominique Montlaure owns a substantial trucking business near to Bordeaux, which she runs
with the help of her boyfriend, Henri Savin. Unbeknown to Dominique, Henri has been
having an affair with a young Canadian woman, Julie, who is now pregnant with his child.
When Henri reveals his intention to end his relationship with Dominique, the latter retaliates
with a vengeance. After a violent argument with Julie, Dominique climbs to the top
of a tower and jumps to her death. When the police arrive on the scene, Julie is
suspected of murdering her rival. To save his lover, Henri fabricates evidence which
will implicate him in the murder. Once Julie has been cleared, his plan is to stage
his own death so that he can start a new life with Julie in Canada. Things do not
go as planned…
Review
After their great success with
Police Python 357 in 1976, director
Alain Corneau and actor Yves Montand are reunited for a similarly well-crafted and suspenseful
film noir thriller. Although the plot is something of a mess, with one improbable
plot development repeatedly overtaken by an even more improbable plot development, the
film has a great deal to commend it. Corneau’s masterful appreciation of the
aesthetics of film noir allows him to construct a compelling crime-thriller which should
appeal to any enthusiast of the genre.
Excellent performances – notably from Yves Montand and Marie Dubois – and a very strong visual style (which makes good use of some beautiful locations) mean that this is a rewarding film which deserves its reputation as one of Corneau’s better works. Dubois won a César in 1978 (in the Best Supporting Actress category) for her small but significant part in the film. © James Travers 2004 Write a review for this film... |
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