Directed By: Bertrand Tavernier 

Written By: Bertrand Tavernier and Jean Aurenche

Based On The Novel “Pop. 1280” By: Jim Thompson 

Cinematography: Pierre-William Glenn

Editor: Armand Psenny 

Cast: Philippe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Stephane Andean, Eddy Mitchell, Guy Marchand, Irene Skobline, Michael Beaune, Jean Champion, Victor Garrivier 

1938, in a French-African colony. Lucien Cordier is the cop of this village, populated with blacks and a few whites (usually racialist and lustful). He is a washout, everyone (including his wife Huguette) humiliates him. He never arrests anyone and looks at elsewhere when a dirty trick occurs. But one day, he turns into a Machiavellian exterminating angel.

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This film can be looked at as a bit experimental, as it is based on a pulp thriller set in the United States but this version of the story is played out internationally in Africa, amongst the French colonists who are in the country.

While in the African’s land and home, these French characters who are more invaders in their territory, still think of themselves as superior and treat the natives like savages even though more or less, the so-called civilized characters, truly act more savage and heinous than any of them.

There are very few likable characters throughout this film it’s just that it takes time to learn the despicable of each, and somehow they seem to outshine each other as the tail goes along.

The Protagonist is a police chief in the area, though he is very Azih, and not very effective. He is in a loveless marriage, and having a secret affair that it seems most snow about but certain people acknowledge, but others are shocked. 

The young married woman that he is having an affair with is played by a very young Isabelle Huppert. Their early scenes are certainly sexual, but not erotic, and certainly feel dirty.

Until the police officer truly shows his sociopathic and psychopathic sides. And he ends up murdering two local pimps and covering up their murders implicating a colleague for it, and it seems like after that he seems to start a domino effect of anyone in his life who bothers him or stands in his way him getting rid of for whatever reason, and with each murder, he seems to lose another piece of his soul which already seemed kind of worthless. 

On one end, you could see this as a kind of revenge tail of a meat character finally standing up for himself and getting revenge on those who either don’t think much of him or sell him short,  but you also must wonder at times was he planning this the whole time And was waiting for the time to strike or was he just finally pushed too far and decided to act when the opportunity presented itself.

By the end, he has his own kind of superiority over other characters as he began, he seems to have a plan, and along the way, his plans seem to be changing as does his mindset.

whereas the reason he was doing it, and he was doing it, for he seems to see their true side And see them for what they are and wants to test them to see if they are worthy, and commonly they fail. He is the most testable it becomes a crabs in a bucket situation.

At first, it seems that lust is what drives his character and money seems to others as the film goes along. He seems to lose faith in anything, and everything that he believes in.

His married lover, who his wife seems to know about yet sometimes seems shocked, and his wife’s so-called brother, a truly her lover, are all over each other, and his house tries to even threaten to blackmail him with this affair.

The only character throughout this film, who seems innocent or just doesn’t know any better is the schoolteacher who the detective is on and sometimes has conversations with.

Don’t get me wrong. This film is hard to sit through. Almost every character is racist and uses that kind of language as well as assaults plenty of black characters that just seem to go with the territory and how evil the characters are in the first place.

Moving the setting of the tale from a small town in Texas to a small town in Africa. It seems to match the territory and gives the tale a wider point of view of which to not only look at it but study it also. As it is similarly, dusty, dirty, remote, yet tranquil.

The film can feel detestable at once, but not keep your interest. Never quite knowing what is going to happen next. It almost feels like a mystery only It’s not a who done it and we are watching from the killer’s point of view.

All the characters are racist. Which fits the noir tale. Most of the characters are unlikeable and a nest of vipers waiting to strike first. It’s Very inventive taking the Jim Thompson tale and making it a more international tale. The film is fascinating.

Based on the novel POP. 1280 by Jim Thompson. which I haven’t read, but this feels a bit similar as far as main characters go to the main character from another Jim Harrison tale THE KILLER INSIDE ME. As both are sheriff’s and psychopathic sociopaths 

Grade: B