Le Mouton (1960) - film review

Fernand Castel is a timid police functionary, happy with his deskbound job, but wishing he could earn more money so that he can impress Gisèle, the attractive waitress he has fallen in love with.  One day, his superior offers him a pay rise if he will undertake an important mission for the police – to gain the confidence of a notorious crook, the Tiger, who has recently been arrested but who refuses to reveal the identity of his fellow gang members.  Reluctantly, Fernand agrees and, having staged a public arrest, the police throw him into the same cell as the Tiger.  The latter has succeeded in digging a tunnel out of the cell and coerces Fernand into escaping with him.  Before he realises what is happening, Fernand finds himself partnered with the Tiger as the two embark on a career of crime...

Le Mouton is unapologetically one of those slapdash low budget comedies intended to showcase the talents of a popular comedian of the day, in this case Fernand Raynaud.  Although the script is awful, a concoction of silly situations that barely resembles a plot, Raynaud’s presence more than makes up for this and, whilst clearly not a masterpiece, the film manages to be surprisingly entertaining.  Director Pierre Chevalier isn’t put off by the mediocre screenplay and directs the film with gusto, even managing to slip in some amusing nods to Buston Keaton and film noir. 

Although he is barely remembered today (and is almost completely unknown outside his native France), Fernand Raynaud was one of the leading French comedians of the 1950s and ’60s, made famous by his audience-grabbing television and stage appearances.  His attempt to break into cinema was far from successful and few, if any, of the dozen or so films he appeared in matched up to his talent as a performer.  But as Le Mouton amply demonstrates, Raynaud could shine even in the darkest of places, entertaining his audience no matter how uninspiring the material he was landed with.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

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