THE NIGHT CALLER
France/Italy, 1975, 125 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Paul Belmondo, Charles Denner, Catherine Morin, Adalberto Maria Merli, Lea Massari.
Directed by Henri Verneuil.
If you're after a quick-paced, action, mystery thriller, try this one. Director Henri Verneuil often emulates U.S. styles (or uses U.S. actors in his films, eg. The Burglars). Here he has athletic hero Jean- Paul Belmondo as an obsessed Paris police inspector who stalks and chases a murderer by car, bike, bus, foot, on top of a Metro train and by helicopter. This is breathless and breathtaking. At one stage he is likened to a Western hero on the rampage in a modern city. Besides the action and the mystery, the film incorporates some of the police soul-searching of recent American films.
1. The emphasis of the English title? The French title was 'Fear Over The City'. Was this more appropriate? The credits sequences and the visualizing of fear over the city? Nora and the telephone calls and her death to open the film? The creation of atmosphere and invitation of audience involvement?
2. What are audience expectations of the police story? The thriller? How American do audiences expect them to be? How much American influence was there on this police story? (The comment on Le Tellier and his behaviour as in a western)? How French were the influences on the film?
3. What ingredients do audiences especially enjoy eg. the details of the crime, the chases, the police work and police morale? How well were these illustrated here?
4. The importance of the subplot of Marcucci? The explanation of Le Tellier's past, Le Tellier at work, his vindictiveness and obsession? His chasing of Marcucci, his priorities, his attitude towards public opinion? The relentlessness of Le Tellier as background for the Minos story? How well integrated were the two plots?
5. What kind of person was Le Tellier? The police type? His motivation? Personal reasons for involvement? His relentlessness in chasing either by car, on foot, over roofs, on trains? The type of spectacular mentality that delights in the finale? Was he a credible kind of policeman? How interesting and sympathetic?
6. The contrast of Moissac as his assistant? Agreeing with Le Tellier's methods? Disagreeing? A cruel streak? More compassionate?
7. Comment on the film's portrayal of Minos' victims: Nora, the background of her marriage, the nature of her fear? The widow as prostitute and her murder? Her comments on the virility and manhood of the murderer? Helene and being led on by Pierre? His despising of her and the murder? Pamela Sweet and her participation in pornographic films? The visualizing of her apartment? what did the victims all have in common?
8. The theme of sexuality, repression and madness? What was wrong with Minos? Why his hatred of these women? The symbolism of his throwing the hand grenade into the people at the porno film?
9. What kind of character was Waldeck? The gradual revelation of his identity? The techniques of murder? His characterization, the chase with Le Tellier, the madness and the final siege?
10. Comment on the film's reliance for excitement on the car chases, the bike, the long chase on the roof, Le Tellier on the top of the train, the helicopter and the crashing into the building? Audience response to these?
11. How real was the world of these crimes? How unreal? Did the film offer any insight via its adventure story into the nature of crime, society and the police?
