Le Gendarme et les gendarmettes (1982) - film review

Shortly after moving into their new headquarters, the gendarmes of Saint-Tropez are told that four female trainee gendarmes are to put into their charge.  The attractive young gendarmettes are given a warm reception when they appear, and temptation proves too much even for Adjutant Gerbier.  Then, two of the gendarmettes mysteriously disappear, and before long Cruchot and his chums are drawn into a dastardly plot with international repercussions...

The sixth and final instalment in Jean Girault’s series of Gendarme films shows a marked departure away from the buffoonish comedy of the preceding films towards the more conventional action thriller.  This digression no doubt reflected the change in tastes of the cinema going public, and the early 1980s was certainly marked by the popularity of the crime thriller, particularly those which starred a certain Jean-Paul Belmondo. Although Le Gendarme et les gendarmettes doesn’t go overboard and attempt to be a true film policier, and it at least try to retain the comic slant of the preceding films, it is certainly a very different film to, say, Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez.

Indeed, the attempts at comedy in this film are somewhat feeble – the only comic scenes which really work are the action stunts, some of which are as impressive as in a conventional action thriller.  Louis de Funès, who was the linchpin of the previous five films, appears distinctly tired – indeed the actor died a few months after the film was released, and this was his last film appearance.   Bereft of a strong central performance from Louis de Funès, the film appears lost and directionless.

Although it is regarded by many as the weakest film in the Gendarme series, in terms of box office receipts it was the second most successful (attracting 4.2 million cinema-goers in France).  The film admittedly has some of the charm of the earlier films and it benefits from a fairly decent plot (something the other films lacked).  However, lacking in energy and fun, with some spurious attempts at comedy, it is very much a hit and miss affair.  Even if Louis de Funès had not passed away in 1983, it is doubtful whether he would have wished to continue the series.  On the strength of this film, the Gendarmes formula looks distinctly passed its sell-by date.

© James Travers 2002

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