The Cop (1970) User Reviews

An exquisitely cold example of a gripping, abyssal dark 70s French policier!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 8/10 · 24 January 2014]

Tough-as-Cop thriller from a clearly not-so-belle France, moodily shot with a real flair for coolly capturing callous street justice by, Yves Boisset, whose terse, muscular mise-en-scène translates excitingly into a remarkably grim, morbidly fascinating French crime thriller. The legendary French actor, Michel Bouquet is genuinely chilling as the flinty L'inspecteur Favenin whose amoral and increasingly brutal journey to avenge the fruitless death of a fellow officer leads him ever deeper into a violent existential nightmare!

'Un condé' (1970) is a magnificently bleak, profoundly philosophical Gallic Euro-crime which works brilliantly as a savage expose of police barbarity, dealing unflinchingly with the ultimate societal conundrum; must one become like the beasts in order to deal with the beast? The only thing that marred my enjoyment of this wickedly immersive Gallic crime treat is that the source VHS print of my bootleg was a trifle muddy. An immaculately restored, UK-friendly, bells & whistles DVD/Blu-ray edition of this exquisitely cold example of gripping, abyssal dark 70s French policier is LONG overdue!

"Les flics sont les ordures."

[brogmiller · 6/10 · 15 June 2021]

Harry Callaghan and Popeye Doyle have become iconic characters since their first appearances in the early seventies and the Rogue Cop genre has remained extremely popular.

To non-European audiences Inspector Favanin is hardly likely to be a household name. His character appeared in 1970 in this film of Yves Boisset and it is well-nigh impossible fifty years on to appreciate just what an impact the film made and the obstacles its director faced to get it released without cuts. Due to its graphic violence and its depiction of the police, Boisset was obliged to go before a censorship committee one of whose members was Jean-Pierre Melville(!) and eventally its release was approved. Suffice to say its notoriety guaranteed excellent box office.

The masterstroke here is the casting, against type, of Michel Bouquet. When his friend and colleague played by Bernard Fresson is killed in the line of duty Favenin becomes an avenging angel, using any means at his disposal to track down those responsible, thereby becoming not only judge and jury but also executioner.

As one would expect from Boisset this is a study in corruption and furthermore, by the standards of its time its content is relentlessy grim, desolate and bloody. There are no romantic, folk hero types here with their particular moral codes in the style of Melville but instead beasts in the jungle. Does Favenin regret his actions? The final shot of him sitting alone is cleverly ambiguous.

Bouquet is riveting in the role and he is ably supported by Adolfo Celi, Michel Constantine, Gianni Gekko, Henri Garcin and Francoise Fabian.

Although this film undeniably broke new ground and forever transformed the genre in France, I personally harbour no desire to view it again.

Ironically, it was knocked off its top slot by 'Le Cercle Rouge' of none other than Jean-Pierre Melville!

film noir and dark politics

[dromasca · 8/10 · 10 May 2022]

Yves Boisset is not one of the famous French directors, which amplifies for me the (pleasant) surprise of watching his 1970 film 'Un condé' ('The Cop'). The director, who had been Jean-Pierre Melville's assistant, among others, demonstrates here that he not only learned many of the secrets of the trade from his master, but also that he had the courage to combine the genre of film noir (a tradition in French movies) with political cinema. The result makes of 'Un condé' both violent entertainment in the genre of the movies in which the cops are only a little less evil than the gangsters they face, and a political film in which a crisp message and characters immersed in moral corruption. In perfect synchronicity with what was happening at the same time in American cinema, 'Un condé' brings to the screen a vigilante hero with whom, as spectators, we identify for a while, until the moment the violence accumulates and we begin to question whether justice achieved through such illegal means remains justice, even in situations where there seems to be no alternative to the use of violence.

I liked the way this story is told. It starts with a settlement of accounts in the underworld between a gang of mobsters who do not hesitate to use any kind of violence to achieve their goals and the owner of a place who refuses to give up and pays with his life. When his sister and his best friend decide to take revenge, we, as spectators, cannot help but empathize with their feelings. A pair of policemen who seem incorruptible and who, because they are honest, are marginalized in a system that prefers to reach a 'modus vivendi' with criminals, comes into action. When one of them is killed by the same gang of mobsters, revenge seems justified, and again, as spectators, we are involved. The problem is that the world described in the film does not know clean methods to achieve its goals. Revenge means homicide, and police use Gestapo-like methods of interrogation. Made in 1970, 'Un condé' contains a strong post-1968 message of protest against police violence, which Yves Boisset will continue in his future films.

Made during the heyday of the 'film noir' genre in French cinema, a genre that had absorbed some of the talents of the New Wave, 'Un condé' is not inferior to many of the best-known achievements of the genre. The clear and intelligent script, the consistent visual conception and the fact that the characters are not morally judged for what they do contribute to this. They are committing atrocities for noble causes: friendship, fighting crime, opposing police corruption. If there is a culprit, this is the system that does not leave them too many alternatives. Michel Bouquet creates one of the best roles of his career and Michel Constantin adds another role to the ones that made him a favorite actor in gangster movies over several decades. I recommend the film, which in my opinion falls into the category of cinematic jewels that need to be rediscovered.

Boisset became the agitator

[dbdumonteil · 19 January 2012]

Generally,this movie is considered the first "true " film of this director .It had huge problems with the censorship (it was not to be the last time : "RAS" and "Le Juge Fayard Dit Le Sheriff" had also problems) because of the way it showed the police ,whose "methods" were close to those of gangsters;in order not to ruin his producer ,the director cut 8 minutes and remade a whole scene.

It's still watchable today ,thanks to Boisset's nervy style even before the cast and credits :the prologue is violence itself and violence is present -such an intensity was not common in 1970-all through the movie till the last pictures.

"The role of the police is to take care of the society as it is ,not to reform it" says chief superintendent Adolfo "thunderball" Celi;and another sentence has remained famous;the cop (Michel bouquet) to Françoise Fabian " a body which works well is not a body which does not produce waste ,but which eliminates them properly".

We feel the "after 68" zeitgeist in the meeting at the beginning of the movie and the posters in Rufus's house shows Boisset's anti -militarism -which will come to the fore with "RAS" in 1973);one of the posters reads:"army humiliates,imprisons and kills "

That said,the characters are cardboard ("deep" figures have never been Boisset's forte and never will),the screenplay rather simplistic -compared to the works to come such as "Dupont La Joie",but it has become a film noir semi-classic ;indeed,Michel Bouquet's character verges on madness nay psychopathy with a straight face and a total lack of humanity.

Yves Boisset was actually the successor of André Cayatte ,with more aplomb and less endearing characters .All through the seventies,he tried to clean the Augean stables of his country.

NB "Condé " in French has 2 meanings

a)cop

b)a deal which allows one to pursue illegal activities in exchange for information; the second meaning can be applied to Françoise Fabian's brother who wants to stay loyal and pure and refused the deal

Solid French Noir, realistic and contemporary !!!

[elo-equipamentos · 8/10 · 28 December 2019]

Increasingly I have more respect over the real French movies, this Noir picture has a fabulous phrase said by Adolfo Celi, "Beware don't try to save the world, just defend the society as it really is" that reflects on our kind of society, when his partner and close friend L'Inspecteur Barnero (Fresson) was killed pursuing two killers, the honest L'Inspecteur Favenin (Bouquet) decides make justice by own hands, killing all them whom were involved with Barnero's death, unusual plot, Faverin an inconspicuous policeman, using all kinds of gimmicks to get his revenge, a slight cold behavior, sneaky he get in at house's assassin Villete (Constantin) there he faces the killer, a fabulous sequence, killing him like a dog, nevertheless came out the regret, even an unknown picture if look the numbers of votes at IMDB, just few 270 with seven reviews only, it has a great casting, although it's a brutal movie, violent and contemporary, a realistic picture, impressed me entirely, hope others have a change to see the hidden gem from the director Yves Boisset who displayed several allusive red posters !!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

"I know one thing, police work is dirty, and it has to be done dirtily."

[DoorsofDylan · 10/10 · 19 February 2023]

Originally planning to travel down and see a 35MM screening of The Warriors (1979-also reviewed) at The Electric Cinema (the oldest cinema in the UK) in Birmingham, I found that the local train station was shut for maintenance.

Getting home,I decided to cheer myself up, by digging into the mountain of French film DVD's waiting to be watched, and got ready to meet the cop.

View on the film:

Refused by the Minister of Culture Edmond Michelet from being approved for release unless 8 minutes of cuts were made, (thankfully a uncut version was released outside of France) co-writer (with Claude Veillot and Sandro Continenza) / directing auteur Yves Boisset & Au pan coupe (1967-also reviewed) cinematographer Jean-Marc Ripert rush in with Rover on a brutal atmosphere loaded with an incredible, abrasive urgency which points towards the oncoming wave of Italian Crime/ Poliziotteschi films, in Boisset firing scatter-gun whip-pans between Rover and Favenin,which land on cold,long take wide-shots, where the infliction of deadly violence, is gazed at with an icy stillness.

Running down the back streets holding jagged hand-held camera moves with Rover, Boisset drains colour completely out of the real locations, creating a brilliant, brittle texture which holds firm, even when fading red bullet wounds jab the screen,which Boisset scans with distorted tracking shots which take Rover and the dirty cops to the murky backwoods.

Ripped from the pages of a novel by Lucky Joe (1964-also reviewed) writer Pierre Lesou, the screenplay by Continenza/Veillot and Boisset fire at close-range magnificent dialogue that burns with an unflinching Film Noir pessimism towards every layer of the police force being made of corrupt killers who tear up any questions about the methods.

The writers superbly make the only difference between cop Favenin (played with a de-humanizing android gaze by Michel Bouquet) wanting revenge for the death of his partner,and Rover (played with a unshakable drive for vengeance by Gianni Garko) wanting revenge against a crime gang who killed his pal, Is that the only one who is granted legal permission to commit murder,is the cop.

Bleak Violent Revenge Film

[ronharris2-851-19196 · 2/10 · 31 December 2013]

I saw this film when it was first released in the US (1970, I believe). I found it pessimistic, ugly, and gratuitously violent. I hated it. However it has stayed in my mind not because of its content but because of the circumstances under which I saw it.

I was working the snack counter at a small college-town theater. I don't recall what movie was playing, some inoffensive middle-of-the-road feature that attracted inoffensive middle-of-the-road viewers. The manager had just received Un Conde and wanted to test audience reaction. So he decided to "sneak preview" it--without warning--before the main feature. Looking back I wonder what was going through his mind. Had he even seen the film? At any rate, from almost the first frame characters on screen were getting the crap beat out of them. The audience gasped and began murmuring. The mayhem didn't let up and soon the audience was making for the exits. An angry throng mobbed the ticket counter demanding their money back.

In 1970 excessive violence was relatively uncommon in mainstream films, and Un Conde was right at the cutting edge. It certainly wasn't what this audience had come to see. About twenty minutes into the movie the manager finally stopped the show and put on the scheduled picture. But by that time he'd pretty much cleared the house. With all the refunds the till came up awfully light at the end of the evening.

Superior police flick, Bouquet performance

[adrianovasconcelos · 8/10 · 3 October 2022]

Yves Boisset directs "Un Condé" with remarkable succintness and efficiency. To that end he is greatly assisted by Michel Bouquet's deadpan, top drawer performance, who in turn is well supported by Bernard Fresson, Adolfo Celi, Gianni Garko and the beautiful Françoise Fabian.

Inspector Favenin's character is built layer by layer and Bouquet emerges very convincingly as a copper doubling up as vigilante. The script is very good, with sharp dialogue, including copper talk in French. It would appear that this film provided some inspiration for DIRTY HARRY the following year and DEATH WISH in 1974.

Very competent and economical cinematography, reminiscent of Don Siegel's straightforward punches pulled approach to action.

I strongly recommend this film to anyone interested in film noir and in the French cinema.

A hard-boiled cop seeks vendetta

[wombies · 1/10 · 11 April 2001]

Un conde is a very depressing film about a cop who gets tired of crime after a tragic gunfight. The cop starts his personal vendetta that goes far beyond the law.

The films imagery is laconic and slow. Many off the scenes are shot with very little light.Acting is very motionless and slow to make the film look sad and depressing. There is no beautiful or happy scenes. Every character in this film have serious problems. I don't know that to whom this kind of films are made for. Only pleasurable thing is that dialogue is in french. The film offers nothing but depressing scenes of violence and mourning. Still it could be worth seeing for if one likes to feel gloomy.

Rating: 2/10

French Dirty Harry

[kinsayder · 14 December 2006]

Yves Boisset's "Un condé" (from the French slang for cop) is a sort of Gallic "Dirty Harry", a police thriller that raises awkward questions about how far across the line the good guys can step in order to clear up society's mess. Inspector Favenin (Michel Bouquet) undoubtedly goes too far. When his idealistic but ineffectual partner is killed pursuing the culprits of a gang revenge attack (a pursuit instigated by Favenin himself), the embittered cop, realising that conventional police methods won't work, takes matters into his own hands.

At first, it's hard to resist cheering as he takes on the worst of the gang thugs using their own methods. But when his ruthless pursuit for revenge starts to impinge on the more sympathetic characters in the story, including an essentially decent man who gets beaten up in front of his young son, we are forced to question where our sympathies lie.

Boisset's functional, low-key direction, while lacking the stylistic flamboyance of Melville, serves the story well, and makes the frequent outbursts of violence all the more shocking. Bouquet is well-cast as the soft-spoken, solitary, buttoned-up and near-psychopathic Favenin, a more complex (and scarier because unpredictable) character than Eastwood's Harry Callahan. Whereas in "Dirty Harry" the hero's methods are questionable but his goals are morally correct, Favenin clearly has more personal motives that are not necessarily consistent with the public good. Even so, his pragmatic boss is willing to overlook his actions provided they can be covered up.

In a minor role, Michel Constantin, a stalwart of many French gangster movies, gives one of his best performances here as a fatalistic hired gun; his confrontation with Favenin is a highlight of the film.

Excellent crime movie, not politically correct

[norbert-plan-618-715813 · 10/10 · 8 May 2022]

Excellent crime film, thriller, with Michel Bouquet obsessed with finding and killing the killer of his friend, an idealistic cop (Bernard Fresson) and therefore naive. To achieve this, he is ready to do anything, lie, murder, torture, beating. Everything goes in this film where the gangsters are rotten, where the cops are rotten, where the honest people are rotten (those who are not cops or gangsters).

The film contains its share of murders to punctuate the suicidal investigation led by Michel Bouquet. The film contains its share of anthology scenes: the confrontation with Beausourire and Lupo, then the scene of the gun with Lupo. As well as the meeting with Michel Constantin, or the scenes with Adolfo Celi, perfect as a political chief commissioner, obsequious and torpid.

The music of the film, rather unstructured, is little used and to good effect: it contributes to the climate of the film, where many of the places visited seem deserted (except for the police station). This also gives the film a tone, not unreal, but in suspension, a little abstract, of the most beautiful effect.

a murder

[Kirpianuscus · 28 April 2022]

The basic motif to see it remains the admirable job of Michel Bouquet. A film about friendship, duty and corruption , simple, precise and using cold tones.

A cop is killed.

His colegue looks for the murderer, using all tools for find him.

Nothing new but seductive for the cinematography and for the wise way to use American model, giving to it profound nuances.

A film about guilty, to.

Interesting for the exploration of characters.

Excellent!

[RodrigAndrisan · 5 August 2017]

Yves Boisset is a very special director, he has made many good films, most importantly, in my opinion, "The Assassination" (1972), with the great Gian Maria Volontè and many other exceptional actors, and "Dog Day"(1984) , with the unparalleled Lee Marvin. In "The Assassination", as a corrupt lawyer, we find the extraordinary Michel Bouquet, who here, in "The Cop", he is the cop, a policeman like you have not seen in other movies, a cop with an original philosophy, kindred somehow, with Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. But different! Michel Bouquet is an actor who does not need too many specific means or too many replicas to create memorable characters, Michel Bouquet is an absolute force, only by the way he looks, moves and breathes. Likewise, but in another register, it is Michel Constantin, who also plays a smaller role, but, as usual, natural, impeccable. Françoise Fabian is beautiful and natural. Probably the best part of Gianni Garko. So, Bernard Fresson. Adolfo Celi, a small role too but, as usual, very effective. Rufus, Théo Sarapo, Henri Garcin, Pierre Massimi, the same, very good. Need absolutely to be seen!

Rogue cop

[searchanddestroy-1 · 12 November 2017]

This was a rather more than faithful adaptation of the Pierre Lesou's novel. A fierce story about two vengeance schemes involved one in the other. Two friends decide to avenge the death of one of their own and then kill a cop whose his friend decides to avenge him...Follow me? You have here one of best Michel Constantin's performances ever. Don't miss him facing Michel Bouquet. His lines are unforgettable. But something is missing, if you compare to the book. HOW DAN ROVEL'S CHARACTER GETS OUT OF JAIL?

No one seems to have noticed this detail.

Typical from Yves Boisset about the power of police, and the way cops sometimes can trespass the law. A true powerful film.