Name: Chien de pique
Genre: Drama
Released: 1960-12-21
Duration: 1 h 30 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: Eddie Constantine, Raymond Pellegrin, Pierre Clémenti

Constantine ,Clementi,Versini and the jack of spades.

The jack of spades is a young dark-haired man who is not a good omen. Without any moral principles, the Jack of spades is selfish and does not think about the consequences of his actions. The "dog of spades" (title of the movie) is another name for the jack of spades.

Anyway,at his best ("Dédée D'Anvers" " Une Si Jolie Petite Plage "and his apex "Manèges") ,Yves Allégret never showed a rosy world ,except for the ending of "les Orgueilleux ,by and large, looked upon as his last great effort .

 In the movie, this definition perfectly applies to Robert (Raymond Pellegrin),an ex-con who meets again his old pal Patrick (Eddie Constantine ) ,a former raider who breeds bulls in Camargue.

Most of the scenes were filmed on location ,and there's a good use of the wild Camargue landscape,which gives the movie a French western feel.

The Constantine/Pellegrin pairing is a good one ,even though the latter shows himself "a villain beyond redemption" too soon .To the derivative love rivalry (about the boss's daughter),one can prefer the strange relationship between the gangster and a young man who dreams of the broader horizons of Argentina .This clueless lad is played by Pierre Clémenti in his first important role: a curious case on the French scene ,he turned his back on stardom in the early seventies .

There's also another western recurrent feature: the breeders against the "farmers" (here represented by the rice growers );and eventually too many subplots in a screenplay which leaves a lot to be desired ;the ending ,notably ,is botched ;jazz drummer Moustache bawling out an unbearable "Retiens La Nuit" (which may not be a cover of Aznavour's song written for Hallyday which was a hit only two years later ,but which features ,oddly, snatches of lyrics from this classic)is pure filler.

Apropos of one of Johnny Hallyday's movies: the beginning of his 1963 film "D'Ou viens-tu Johnny ? " was perhaps inspired by that of "Chien De Pique"

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

After an adventurous life, Patrick settled in the Camargue and bought a ranch where he raised bulls, while the "rice fields" gradually invade and transform the country.

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Eddie Constantine and Raymond Pellegrin in Chien de pique (1960)

Eddie Constantine in Chien de pique (1960)

Chien de pique

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