The Big Brother

1982 1h 55m FR

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 13

Crime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The plot in this story weaves around like a New Year's reveler at four in the morning, heading first in one direction and then in another, with the intention of going home if things would just stop moving. Bernard (Gerard Depardieu) is a doctor whose Hippocratic oath was a hypocritic failure -- the not-so-good doctor kills his wife because she is having an affair, and he kills her lover too. Then he joins the French Foreign Legion. On his way to the former French colonies in Africa, the plane he is in crashes, and Rossi, a "friend" on the plane with some overweight in carry-on money, shoots Bernard and takes off, leaving him for dead. He is nursed back to life and health by friendly villagers and just his luck, he not only manages to make his fortune in Africa, he also nabs a French passport from a dying man who will clearly not need it anymore unless the Pearly Gates have a French guard.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Berger / Bernard Vigo
Souad Amidou
Zina Khelifa
Hakim Ghanem
Ali
Jean Rochefort
Charles-Henri Rossi
Roger Planchon
Inspecteur Valin
Jacques Villeret
Inspecteur Coleau
Christine Fersen
Jane la voisine
Smaïn
Abdel

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Francis Girod
Writers: Francis Girod, Michel Grisolia
Languages: 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 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Francis Girod, shot by Bernard Zitzermann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gérard Depardieu and Souad Amidou and Hakim Ghanem carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0084019 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 13 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Francis Girod directs. Bernard Zitzermann behind the camera. Pierre Jansen scores. Henri Colpi cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

144 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Francis Girod, shot by Bernard Zitzermann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Pierre Jansen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Henri Colpi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gérard Depardieu and Souad Amidou and Hakim Ghanem carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0084019 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 13 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.