LE CHOIX DES ARMES (A CHOICE OF WEAPONS. A CHOICE OF ARMS)

France, 1981, 135 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Depardieu, Yves Montand, Catherine Deneuve, Michel Galabru, Christian Marquand, Gerard Lanvin.
Directed by Alain Corneau.

A Choice of Arms is a tough French crime drama. It focuses initially on two men who get out of prison but are ambushed by a rival gang. The one who is killed tells the other to an estate, to a wealthy criminal and get money from him. He does so, menacing the family. The older criminal sends his wife away. In the meantime, the police are pursuing.

While the material may be somewhat familiar, it is the strength of the cast and their performance which gives great strength to the film. Yves Montand, towards the end of his career, is the older criminal and Catherine Deneuve is his wife. A young Gerard Depardieu is the reckless young criminal who gets out of jail. (Montand and Depardieu were to appear to great effect three years later in Jean de Florette.)

The film was written and directed by Alain Corneau who went on to write and direct such films as Fort Saganne and All the Mornings of the World (also with Depardieu).

1. An interesting and entertaining gangster thriller, psychological drama, social drama? Blend of these elements?

2. Quality of production: Panavision, colour? French cities, farms, studs? Ireland? The attention to visual detail and atmosphere? The score? The editing and the various strands of the plot? Editing for pace? Suggestions of character, time etc.?

3. The stars and their screen presence and image over decades? The screenplay using their screen persona? The star quality of the film?

4. The introduction and the feel of the plot, atmosphere? The blending of elements? Puzzle? Expectations? The film's moods, sympathies, shifts in moods and assessment, changes of judgment? Hopes? The parallels in the various sub-plots? Contrasts? Ironies? The poetic justice and the working out of law and order?

5. The focus on Mickey and his escape? Serge, Rickey? The leading to betrayal? The deaths? The police? The stealing of the car? Music, gangsters? Mickey helpless? Reliance on Serge? The tending. the horses? The move to Paris? The move to death?

6. Noel and Nicole Durieux: the early morning awakening, their way of life, wealth, love for each other, the horses? The gentility? The day in Ireland? Meals? Love. loyalties. tenderness? The build-up to Nicole's death - and audience sympathies, shock? The impact on Noel? Her burial?

7. The pursuant police: the older man with his knowledge and experience, the contrast with the young and intense officer? Pursuit, confrontation? Hesitancy, the shooting? The comment on police methods? The intensity and drive of the police? The administration of justice - for its own sake, for personal satisfaction?

8. The portrait of Mickey : his escape, the move to vengeance? His friends? Dany and the family? The little girl and the dolls? The visits and the sea? Murder, prison? The story being retraced? The slums, boxing, Fernand? Desperation and fear about the daughter? The friendship with Nicole? Her death and his escape? Dany, the daughter, the robot? The sea? Robbing, the shooting? Noel - and death to save a life? The portrait of a life?

9. Noel and Nicole? A pleasant couple, the revelation of the truth about them and the background? Noel coping? Wanting to get Mickey? Nicole and grief? The horses. the training? The fears and Nicole going to the city? The hotel, the timing, the phone calls? The police following? Friendship, death? Noel and his friends, the arrest? The smash and the blame? Wade? Ricky and the drugs? The story? The waiting, the decision about the guns? The return. the grief. following, waiting? Saving? Shot? The return? The police and the five shots? The child? A reason to live?

10. The picture of the police: the old policeman. his experience, the arrest, methods? The contrast with the young man and his intensity? Obsession? His saving? The confrontation? The shooting and the raid? The five shots?

11. Constantini and the sleazy atmosphere? The real estate? The smash? The gangsters and the drugs? Cafes? The contrast with Noel's friends -the hideout and the arsenal? The Ireland interlude - indicating possibilities? The buying and the training of the horses? Respectability and beauty?

14. Noel and the Resistance, the gangster? Would Mickey become a Noel-type? Was Noel Mickey in his youth? The choices? The weapons? The final comments on law and order and the television commentary and survey?

15. The French setting - a particularly French story, characters? Universal? Insight into persons, society, circumstances and ironies?