Film Review
On 30th August 1961, Parisians could discover
Le Gout de la violence, the new
film from actor/director Robert Hossein at the cinemas Français
and Marignan. For once, it was not a psychological thriller or a
crime drama but a European western that, even with all the recognisable
codes of its own, was a little bit ahead of its time. This
Franco-Italian German co-production was filmed in Montenegro,
ex-Yugoslavia. Hossein himself plays the leading role with, in a
very small part, the marvellous Madeleine Robinson, who still went on
acting until the 1990s but had her heyday in the 50s and 60s with Jean
Gabin, Fernandel, Louis Jouvet, Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais,
to name just a few. Hossein is partnered here by the lovely
Italian actrice Giovanna Ralli (who had worked with Lino Ventura,
Bourvil and Bernard Blier) in an almost silent role. The cast is
completed by two German actors, the unknown Hans Neubert and the
popular Mario Adorf, who lent his voice for the German
post-synchronized version.
The original omnipresent music was supplied by Hossein's father, the
orchestra conductor André Hossein. Jacques Robin's
black-and-white photography suits the intimate scenes and the panoramic
country setting perfectly. Filmed with sensitivity, this moving
road-movie has some astonishing and lyrical moments. Even with
some sequences that are too long, and too many messages and
reflections, the 82 minute runtime gives the script adequate depth and
power. The greatness comes from its simplicity and
sobriety. In one scene, Hossein gives us the certainty that he
was visibly inspired by Marlon Brando's film
Viva
Zapata - Perez (Hossein) and Maria (Ralli) arrive in a ghost
town where they see a row of hanging men and, when recognizing one of
them, Perez calls him Emiliano in what seems to be a specific reference
to Emiliano Zapata, who was indeed hanged after being betrayed.
If director Sergio Leone (by the way, a good friend of Robert Hossein)
admits he was later inspired by Hossein's filming in his own spaghetti
westerns, perhaps we should call this a little jewel of classic cinema,
or is this excessive?
Le
Gout de la violence (a.k.a.
The
Taste of Violence) has been available on DVD since March 2012.
© James Travers, Willems Henri (Brussels, Belgium) 2012
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Robert Hossein film:
Le Jeu de la vérité (1961)
Film Synopsis
1890. In a Latin American country, a bloody war is being fought
between the guerilleros of General Guzman and soldiers of the powerful
president Laragana. To kidnap the president's daughter Maria to
serve the cause of the revolution, three men under the command of the
utopian Perez attack the train in which Maria is travelling under
protection of a military convoy. After becoming their prisoner,
Maria has to be taken to General Guzman's headquarters to be traded for
fifty rebels. Perez, the spineless Chamaco and the young Chico
must take flight, pursued by loyalist forces across a country which is
scarred by civil war and senseless massacres. During this long
journey, a personal confrontation is inevitable between the three
men. Perez has one goal: to sacrifice everything for the
cause. Chamaco, a venal opportunist, wants to kill Perez and
exchange their precious hostage for money. Chico is more
sentimental and becomes attached to Maria...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.