LE CHOC
France, 1982, 95 minutes, Colour.
Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Alexandra Stewart, Philippe Leotard, Stephane Audran.
Directed by Robin Davis.
Le Choc is an exciting French gangster thriller. It stars Alain Delon in the kind of role that he has done very often (Borsalino, The Godson). Catherine Deneuve is as decorative as ever and suggests inner depths for the role of the harassed wife who has to make a choice about her quiet lifestyle or going with the gangster. Philippe Leotard (excellent in La Balance) has a strong role as Catherine Deneuve's husband. There are guest performances by Alexandra Stewart and Stephane Audran. Delon and the director, Robin Davis, helped with co-scripting the film.
It is a film of the '80s: violent, colourful, fast-moving, action packed, seemingly amoral. Audience sympathies are invited for people who inhabit the shady world of violence and hired killers.
1. The quality of this gangster thriller, French style? Entertaining, action, pace? Cinema flair?
2. The title and the references to shocks for the various characters? The dramatic presentation of shocks?
3. French settings, the opening in Africa? Contemporary, apartments, banks, streets? The contrast with Brittany and the turkey farms, the coast? The film as an urban thriller, the use of the city? Stylish photography? The score and its range of styles and themes including mediaeval ballad music?
4. The stars, audience expectations of them, their style?
5. Martin (Christian): Africa, his gun, the cool assassination from the carriage? His return to Paris? The encounter with Michel and his treating him strongly? The relationship with Mathilde, his expectations of her, the breaking of the affair, his emotional brutality? His love for his cat - by contrast? A hard unmoved man? His decision to opt out of his profession? The visit to Cox and the clash with his henchmen, the fork in his hand? His being followed in the Metro and his confronting the pursuer? The criminal in his apartment, his getting the cat from Mathilde, the criminal holding Mathilde as hostage, the disturbance by the cat. his quick action in killing him? His decision to leave Paris? His getting his money from the bank, the relationship with Jeanne. friendship, her advice about turkey farms? The turkey farm and the encounter with Claire? His awkwardness on the farm? Attraction to Claire? The possibility of surviving in the country? Did he elicit audience sympathy?
6. His life on the farm, the turkeys, the meeting with Claire, the clash, Felix returning home from the convention, the drinking, the abuse of his wife at the meal table? Claire and her defiance? Her succumbing to Martin? The liaison. the walk along the beach? Tension mounting within the group? Martin unable to tell her the whole truth during the meal?
7. The suddenness of the terrorists and their attack, the killing of Felix. Claire's action to save Martin. Martin's initiative and his killing of the terrorists? Flight, taking the car, offering the choice to Claire, her taking it? Paris. the cover at the hotel. his money gone from the safe, Jeanne's death, in crisis?
8. Cox and the confrontation? The offer of the new job? The liaison with the police security officer? The assassination set-up at the Arc de Triomphe? His not assassinating the victim? The confrontation with the policeman? His shooting him?
9. Martin's final confrontation with Cox: going with Michel, the deaths of the henchmen, Cox and his defiance and bluff, Michel being shot, the resolution in the parking area, Michel's jealousy and telling the truth of his trying to destroy Martin? Michel's death and its melodrama? Martin's escape with Claire in the helicopter?
10. Martin as a character, ruthless, professional (the scenes of him assembling the gun blindfold), Relationship with women, the cat, the quality of anticipation of pursuit. his emotional responses. falling in love with Claire, letting her share his life, his future?
11. Claire and her work on the turkey farm. her hopes. marriage to Felix, the bitterness of the marriage, her being humiliated by Felix. succumbing to Martin. the walks along the beach? Her choices - and her going with martin? Felix and his brutality - a good character sketch of an abusive self-pitying husband?
12. Jeanne as eccentric, her animals, the cats, the bank, her advice on investment? The pathos of her death? The irony that she was Martin's wife - their separation, their continued friendship?
13. Cox and his power, ordering assassinations, links with international groups, terrorists? His henchmen and their brutality? Martin's spurning Cox's main henchmen, the pool, his death?
14. Michel and his weakness, coming to Martin's flat., the underlying jealousy, helping his friend at the end yet the revelation of his betrayal?
15. The amoral world of assassins and professional criminals? Audience interest in this kind of world, character?
