Name: La menace
Genre: Drama
Released: 1961-03-01
Duration: 1 h 20 min
Rating: 5.8
Cast: Robert Hossein, Marie-José Nat, Elsa Martinelli

Gerard Oury hit the big time with his two comedies "le corniaud" (1963) and "la grande vadrouille" ,the latter being the greatest post-war phenomenon of the whole French cinema:it really smashed all records of the box-office.Commercially,it was a tour de force;artistically,well...let's be nice!

Unfortunately,all his previous works remained in obscurity .And this one "la menace" is a very interesting if minor film noir.Robert Hossein's and Marie-José Nat's performances are first-class,ambiguous,intense.Josepha(Marie-José Nat) is some kind of female James Dean ,an eighteen-year old girl who has been an outcast most of her life.She lives with an old uncle who does not give her any affection.She tries to join the local pack,but even with these youngsters ,she's ill-at-ease.So she tries to catch their attention by accusing the chemist (Robert Hossein)of a horrible murder.

Hossein and Nat are wonderful.Of course she's attracted by him,and vice versa ,but there's something nasty in their relationship:check the chemist's attitude in the movie theater when the couple is watching Jean Cocteau's "la belle et la bête".This work owes more to Hossein than to Oury:Hossein is par excellence the novelist Frederic Dard hero ,Frederic Dard whose "toi le venin"he adapted (an IMDb recommendation).The ending might have influenced Claude Chabrol for "le boucher" (1969).

A long flashback,the movie brilliantly opens and closes :first picture is a Nat's closed eyes close-up;last one is another close-up:she closes

her eyes,and she seems doomed to endless night.

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)

Josepha is 18 and bored. As she tries to impress the local moped gang, she accuses one of her acquaintances of a horrible murder.

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Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Odile Versois and Marina Vlady in Blonde in a White Car (1958)

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Marina Vlady in The Wicked Go to Hell (1955)

Catherine Rouvel in Highway Pick-Up (1963)

Robert Hossein and Lea Massari in Paris Pick-Up (1962)

Robert Hossein and Marina Vlady in Double Agents (1959)

Robert Hossein, Elsa Martinelli, and Marie-José Nat in La menace (1961)

La menace

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