Our Heroes Died Tonight
October. 23,2013
France in the early 60s. Simon, a wrestler, wears a white mask. In the ring, he is known as "The Specter". He suggests to his friend Victor who has just returned from combat to be his adversary in the ring and wear a black mask, and be known as "The Slaughterer of Belleville". But for Victor, still shaken from his experience in combat, this is too much; for once in his life he would like to be the good guy, the one people cheer on. Simon then suggests they switch masks. But it proves less easy to fool the rest of the wrestling crowd...
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Undescribable Perfection
the audience applauded
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
An opening title card tells us that in the early 1960s, professional wrestling in France was at the height of its popularity. The start of the film finds Victor, a bruiser recently returned home from the French Foreign Legion, rudderless and without a job. His pal Simon is making a living as The Specter, a masked wrestler who happens to be in need of an adversary. Simon's unsavory bosses groom Victor into The Butcher of Belleville, and the two set about making their benefactors loads of francs. But before long the job is doing a number on both men. Adulation without recognition rankles their egos. Surrendering their identities to literal black and white avatars of good and evil isn't helping their extant existential concerns.An homage to french new wave and crime films ? A modern film noir ? An existential kitchen-sink drama ? "Our heroes died tonight" refuse categorization and is always surprising. The third act for example, in a wax museum, is totally unusual and creepy... But before that, it's moving (great women characters), strange, surrealist, suspenseful. I saw this very unique film in Fantastic Fest and since, I can't stop thinking of it. Denis Ménochet as Victor (the farmer from "Inglourious Basterds") is fascinating and the other characters are unforgettable too... Cinematography is outstanding, every frame is pristine. A little gem of a film !
The only thing going for this pretentious film is the premise itself. Two soldiers return home from the French foreign legion and get work in the wrestling world, eventually becoming caught up with gangsters. As part of the French FIlm Festival in Australia (who compared this with Tarantino and Scorcese) I honestly would have walked out after forty minutes were I not with a friend and seated in the middle of the row. Raging Bullesque cinematography can't save this dreadful film. Poorly scripted (like a first draft) with characters you don't care about, little action, tension or pacing. Heavy handed direction and way over stylised. This isn't even a great tribute to wrestling itself. Avoid at all costs.A doco on French wrestling in the 60's would have been more entertaining.
This worth watching french movie may be more complicated than it seems at first sight. I did not quite understand all the genuine genesis of this fascinating tale. And above all not usual at all. Nothing foreseeable here. A sort of nostalgic, old fashioned story, homage to the film noir, with outstanding actors such as Denis Menochet and Jean Pierre Martins. I compare this latest with Michael Madsen, same face, same kind of overall set. Both could easily play the King Presley on the big screen. Remember JP Martins, as Marcel Cerdan, in LA MÔME.This film is a tale about wrestlers in the 60's. A story of manhood, friendship among men, sometimes complex to get entirely. It deserves several watchings. The character played by Yann Colette is terrific. This feature is a drama, more than a noir movie or a crime flick.Some dialogue lines are outstanding.
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