Sunday, September 18, 2011

POLICE PYTHON 357 (French) (1976)


An absorbing cop thriller with engaging cat and mouse thrill, starring and establishing Yves Montand as French Harry Callaghan. But apart of Clint Eastwood look-a-like jacket there’s no similarity between either two cops or films. The title of the film derived from the definite cop gun named ‘Colt Python’ (357 magnum) which was regarded as ‘Rolls Royce of revolver’.

Marc Ferrot is dedicated cop who is under grief of his beloved’s murder and he’s the one who’s investigating it. It is his ill fate that the poor fellow has unknowingly messed the scene of crime under drunken state and left enough evidences against him instead of real killer. And so he has to get rid of all his beloved’s memorable gifts and photographs since any of clue can prove him prime suspect. He has to investigate his own way, the police way and at the same time keep himself out of persons who witnessed him with the murdered woman.

The film is not typical whodunit murder mystery. We see the enigmatic woman, her affairs with two men and than we see the murder and the murderer and it was not pre planned one but from spur of the moment one. And than begins the tension between two cops- one the murderer, the other investigator. And we know who’s who that confronts each other everyday in Police HQ and still they don’t know who’s who and that’s what makes it real interesting thing to watch. Director Alain Corneau applied many twists as the film reaches towards its shattering climax. For Montand its absolutely memorable lead role of his career and his real life wife Simone Signoret played know-it-all wheel chaired old woman so impressively in her short screen presence. Recommended to all French crime/noir fans.

Ratings-7/10    

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