BRONX/ROGUE CITY

France, 2020, 116 minutes, Colour.
Lannick Gautry, Stanislas Merhar, Kaaris, David Belle, Patrick Catalifo, Jean Reno, Moussa Maaskri, Catherine Marchal, Francis Renaud, Erika Sainte, Claudia Cardinale.
Directed by Oliver Marchal.

There have been many gangster and police investigation films set in Marseilles. Memories of Jean-Pierre? Melville. Marseille also being a setting for the films of Robert Guedigian.

This is a film about police corruption – and then some! There are gangsters, interactions, violence, debts. There is a range of police personnel, the investigator who goes beyond commands, the police chief, and the involvement of his daughter in the investigations as well as in personal relationships.

The film opens enigmatically with a policeman in distress, his coming out of the building, shots. The audience then goes back into the police operations leading to this particular scene – but going beyond it, with some twists in that policeman’s relationship with the chief’s daughter as well as her final confrontation with her father.

Strong material, what might be expected film with this title setting gangster and police Marseille.

1. The title? The New York reference? The Bronx and gangsters and reputation? As applied to Marseille?

2. The Marseille settings? The city, the sea, the vistas? Homes, clubs, police precincts? The musical score?

3. A gangster story? The American traditions? The French traditions? The gangs, from Sardegna and Corsica, operating in Marseilles? Drugs? The families, traditions, rivalries, the matriarch? And, in the background, religious traditions? The contrast with Muslim traditions? Racial and cultural hostilities?

4. The Marseille police, the leadership, the particular squads, the variety of men, their interactions? Corrupt police and the dealings? The violence and deaths?

5. The opening, the focus on Will, his dread look, the rifle, going to the house, the shots, his return, his suicide? The impact of this opening pervading the rest of the film, on Will, on his place in the police, on the police action?

6. Richard, his leadership, the small squad, his personality and qualities, tough, his relationship with his wife, her pregnancy?

7. The range of men, those with long experience, Costa and his playing both sides?

8. The release of the criminal to be executed, Richard and the squad accompanying him, his request to see his wife in hospital, the reunion, his smothering her, his gratitude to the police? The authorities and the criticism of Richard?

9. The members of the special squad, going into action, their personalities, their loyalties?

10. Leonetti as the new chief, stern, authority, the men’s reaction? His daughter, graduation, her presence on the team, her relationship with Will?

11. The drug deals, the boats from Sardegna, the Spanish group, information, Costa, his connection with the various games? His girlfriend, his clashes with Richard, he and the girl
being murdered?

12. Will, in the squad, unreliable, his wife and children, Leonetti’s daughter his girlfriend?

13. The presentation of the various gangs? The armed attack on the club, the violence and deaths? The man wounded, hiding the gun and vest, pretending that he was part of the
group? The interrogations?

14. Information, Richard and interrogations, the arms supplier, giving the name, the police converging, the man naked, fleeing into the street, his death? The reaction of his father?
The ceremony and the church, the priest, the police interrupting, the arrests? The reaction of the gang members? The contrast with the later death, the more sober funeral rites, the priest in clerical suit?

15. Leonetti, his suspicions of the squad? The arrival of the officials in charge, their suspicions?

16. Alliances, suspensions, Richard in the group, getting the information, an undercover squad, the boats, going to the drug drop, the shootout, the irony of the undercover
policeman being killed, with the gun that Will had? The investigations, the denials?

17. The buildup to the final set up, the rendezvous, the cars, the range of criminals, shootouts and deaths?

18. The return to Will and his murder-suicide?

19. Richard, going to the matriarch, the discussions, the deals, the information and photos about Leonetti? Richard confronting him, his daughter overhearing, her confronting him?

20. Richard, the money, giving it to the man on the boat, his own boat? Setting sail with his wife, the final song? Misleading?

21. The move to final vengeance, Leonetti dead in his pool, the ambush on the various members of the squad, the attack on Richard in the boat, his wife surviving?

22. As action thriller? As critique of drug gangs? Of police activity, police corruption?