Ten years after their only other narrative feature film together (Un Flic), screen legends Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve teamed up for the last time in this tense 1982 crime thriller. Based on the novel The Prone Gunman by fellow French icon Jean-Patrick Manchette, the film tracks a veteran assassin’s difficult disentanglement from his former employers.
Buy Le ChocDelon stars as Martin “Christian” Terrier, a superbly talented hitman who just wants to retire and enjoy the fruits of his many years of labor. Unfortunately, the shadowy syndicate he works for doesn’t offer a retirement plan, leaving Christian on the run as they dispatch other killers to send him permanently under greener pastures. Stopping in for a quick review of his portfolio with his financial manager, he learns that he’s the proud owner of a remote turkey farm, giving him a suitably off-the-grid hideout.
Surprisingly, Deneuve doesn’t appear until a half hour into the film, showing up as Claire, the wife of the offbeat turkey farm manager. Credulity is stretched to the max by the idea of the gorgeous, sophisticated Deneuve being married to a weird hick in the hinterlands, but thankfully that’s the only minor stumble in an otherwise taut, romantic neo-noir. It’s also quickly remedied by the appearance of thugs at the farm who miss their target but conveniently remove the primary stumbling block to Christian and Claire’s burgeoning romance.
Director/co-writer Robin Davis maintains the tension throughout the film, with the stars constantly in danger but also never far from salvation due to Christian’s superb gunman skills. Delon in the ‘80s comes off a bit like Roger Moore as Bond in the ‘80s, a bit over the hill but still a commanding veteran screen presence, adding credibility to his tired character’s wish to retire. Deneuve is far less spent and a bit underutilized, but once again pairs exceptionally well with Delon, with the two generating intense chemistry and easy familiarity. I expected the film and actors to largely coast on star power, so was pleasantly surprised by the gripping story and engaging performances.
The Blu-ray presents the film in 1.66:1 aspect ratio with lossless DTS 2.0 mono audio. Cinematography is competent if unremarkable, with occasional hazy images marking its ‘80s production era. The transfer is clean and shows decent color saturation, and no noticeable defects appear. The sole bonus feature is the theatrical trailer, while a new commentary track by entertainment journalists is also included.
While any pairing of Delon and Deneuve is cause for celebration, this expertly paced romantic thriller is fully worthy of their iconic talents.
