THE EMPEROR OF PARIS

France, 2018, 110 minutes, Colour.
Vincent Cassel, Patrick Chesnais, August Diehl, Olga Kurylenko, Dennis Lavant, Freya Mavor, Denis Menochet, James Thieree, Fabrice Lucchini.
Directed by Jean- François Richet.

François Vidocq would be well-known in France and in French history, not so much known in the rest of the world. However, in the first half of the 19th century he was significant in the administration of criminal law as well as developing techniques in criminal detection. Audiences for this film, not familiar with Vidocq, would be repaid by further reading about him, his life and career.

This seem to be many echoes with Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables in his story, the galleys, brutal supervisors, escape, life in the city with the array of criminals, the pathos of a story with the young prostitute.

The opening of the film recreates the atmosphere of the galleys and the brutality of the supervisors. After his escape, Vidocq reappears as a cloth merchant, tangles with other criminals in Paris, is able to act as an informant for the police and roundup many criminals. This brings him in to conflict with the supervisor from the galleys (Dennis Lavant) as well as the man with whom he escaped, Nathanael (August Diehl).

He ingratiates himself with a fashionable lady who has a sordid past herself (Olga Kurylenko) who has appreciated herself with the supervisor of police (Patrick Chesnais).

Ultimately (at least for this stage of his life) Vidocq has a confrontation with Nathanael and, doing his work as an informant for the police and rounding up criminals, hopes to gain an amnesty from the Governor of Paris, Fouche (Fabrice Lucchini). He fails with the amnesty but then build up a career as a detective.

Vincent Cassell plays Vidocq with his customary intensity – and had appeared in other films by the director, the two parts of Mesrine and One Wild Moment. Jean-François? Richet also made films in the United States including the remake of Assault on Precinct 13 and Blood Father with Mel Gibson.

Not familiar with Vidocq, nor with his subsequent distinguished career as a detective, it is worthwhile looking him up, for example in Wikipedia.

1. The story of François Vidocq? His background, the period of Waterloo and post-Waterloo? The film not showing the next decades of his life as policeman, detective, significant in contributing to detection?

2. The post-French Revolution period? Napoleon? Conquest of Europe? Leading up to Waterloo? The Republic, the new monarchy?

3. The Les Miserables atmosphere, the galleys, prisoners, the hard work, the supervisors and their brutality? Vidocq and his reputation for escaping? With Nathanael in the galleys? The discussion about escape, going overboard, disappearance?

4. Vidocq surfacing after some years, selling cloth, discovered in the markets, the attack on Annette, his saving her, the relationship, her protector? Annette and her background, prostitution, again, echoes of Les Miserables?

5. The police, investigations, Vidocq and his identity, the dangers, his shrewdness?

6. The character of La Barronne, the revelation about her sordid past, her skill in remaking herself, her relationship with Henry? The promise of the Legion d’honneur? Eventually succeeding? Her interest in Vidocq? Her manipulations, being unmasked, helping Vidocq, leaving the city?

7. Rule in Paris, on behalf Napoleon, the role of Fouche, his personality, administration of the law, the discussions with La Barronne, keeping her waiting and her intervention? With Vidocq? Not giving him an amnesty?

8. Vidocq, criminals in the city, the background of the galleys, Nathanael, the range of criminals, their activities? Tracking down Maillard, his brutality in the galleys, his range of criminals and control?

9. Vidocq, using his wits, his escape abilities, rounding up criminals, their capture and imprisonment, informant for the police? His motivations, for respectability and acceptance?

10. The action sequences? The squalor of criminal life in the city? Nathanael and his wanting to take over, coming up against Vidocq, the final confrontation and Vidocq prevailing?

11. The need for audiences to do further research on Vidocq and see where this preparation for his future life and abilities bore fruit?