La Menace (1977) - film review

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…

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

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