This new collaboration between Henri Verneuil and Jean-Paul Belmondo is a real success. The basic plot, classical, is about a man who comes out of 7 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and retraces his steps and memories to uncover the truth and get revenge. But the film is also the occasion for a sharp criticism of the bourgeoisie of the 1970s, whose greed, affairism and compromise with mafia circles will precipitate France towards decline and ugliness. This is the time when we make a clean sweep of the past by building frightful suburban cities and which goes hand in hand with a general disintegration of mores. The criticism may seem a bit caricatural, but in hindsight it was very sharp. Belmondo no longer recognizes the world he finds on his release from prison, he has become a man of the past, and a certain melancholy emerges, which changes us from the more humor- and action-oriented roles he is accustomed to. In this generalized cesspool, two women are the exceptions and bring him his rare moments of happiness and hope: Hélène interpreted by the sublime Nicole Garcia, in one of her first roles for the cinema, and the young girl met randomly and who will follow him without asking any questions... The cast is very solid, alongside Belmondo we find the excellent Bernard Blier and the enigmatic Marie-France Pisier. I recommend this very good film.
Review of Body of My Enemy
