Coup de Torchon

1981 2h 8m FR

👍

7.0

SOLID

🔥

92%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 226🍅92%Rotten Tomatoes★7.3IMDB · 6,863

ComedyCrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A pathetic police chief, humiliated by everyone around him, suddenly wants a clean slate in life, and resorts to drastic means to achieve it.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

HBO Max Amazon ChannelSubscription

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Philippe Noiret
Lucien Cordier
Isabelle Huppert
Rose Mercaillou
Jean-Pierre Marielle
Le Peron / Le Peron's twin brother
Stéphane Audran
Huguette Cordier
Eddy Mitchell
Nono
Guy Marchand
Marcel Chavasson
Michel Beaune
Vanderbrouck
Jean Champion
Le curé

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Writers: Jean Aurenche, Bertrand Tavernier
Languages: English, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bertrand Tavernier, shot by Pierre-William Glenn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Philippe Sarde. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Armand Psenny shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Pierre Marielle carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082206 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bertrand Tavernier directs. Pierre-William Glenn behind the camera. Philippe Sarde scores. Armand Psenny cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
3Directed by Bertrand Tavernier, shot by Pierre-William Glenn. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Philippe Sarde. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Armand Psenny shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Pierre Marielle carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0082206 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 27 themes, including "adultery", "based on novel or book", "love triangle", "dark comedy".

The technical file

Cinematography: Pierre-William Glenn
Original score: Philippe Sarde
Editing: Armand Psenny
Production design: Alexandre Trauner
Costume design: Jacqueline Moreau
Makeup / hair: Ludovic Paris
Runtime: 128 min · 2h 8m
Status: Released
Original language: FR
Certification (US): 16
IMDB: Coup de Torchon (1981)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 6,863 votes
MPAA: Not Rated
US box office: $11,527

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 11 nominations total

Also by

Bertrand Tavernier

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-04-13
★ 7/10
I did really quite enjoy Philippe Noiret's performance here, but I couldn't help but wonder if Sir Peter Ustinov wouldn't have had fun with this part too. It's all set in French West Africa just before the start of WWII. His town is a small, largely agrarian and provincial one where "Cordier" is the local cop. To be fair, he's a bit of an hopeless case and everyone from his wife "Hugette" (Stéphane Audran) downwards takes him for a fool. Suddenly though, something snaps. His attitude changes to one of an avenging angel who discovers that he does actually quite enjoy killing people - and he knows full well that nobody cares about the law. His new found, emboldened, character also embarks on a bit of a fling with "Rose" (Isabelle Huppert) and guess what, she's quite keen on getting in on his new community strategy too! It's comedic, yes - but very darkly so as it deals with issues of colonial superiority. Not just with the locals but amongst an hierarchy of their own community that is riddled with double-standards, hypocrisy and odious contradictions. As the story develops, we see an entertaining vision of the obnoxious pursuing the ghastly and just about everyone gets their just desserts. The writing (even via subtitles) is really quite imaginatively pithy; Noiret and Audran have one of those hate/hate relationships that it's a joy to watch, albeit it from a safe distance. It does lose it's way a little towards the end. Bernard Tavernier seems to have run out of steam and has no obvious way of concluding things in as pacy a fashion as the first ninety minutes or so of the story. Still, it uses a degree of satire to cast some delightful aspersions on the colonial classes and I quite enjoyed it.

Production companies