''Le choc'' ( en, italic=yes, The Shock) is a 1982 French

crime thriller Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

film directed by

Robin Davis Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: ** European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin ** Forest ...

and starring

Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; born 8 November 1935) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was one of Europe's most prominent actors and screen sex symbols in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, he won the César Award for Best Actor for h ...

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

, and

Philippe Léotard Philippe Léotard (his full name was Ange Philippe Paul André Léotard-Tomasi; 28 August 1940 – 25 August 2001) was a French actor, poet and singer. Biography He was born in Nice, one of seven children - four girls, then three boys, of whi ...

. Based on the novel ''The Prone Gunman'' (''La position du tireur couché'') by

Jean-Patrick Manchette Jean-Patrick Manchette (19 December 1942, Marseille – 3 June 1995, Paris) was a French crime novelist credited with reinventing and reinvigorating the genre. He wrote ten short novels in the seventies and early eighties, and is widely recognized ...

, the film is about a hitman who wants to retire from his life in organized crime and flees to the country where he meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman.

Plot

Martin Terrier (

) wants to quit his job as a hired hitman, but his organized crime employers are unwilling to see him turned out to pasture, Terrier knows too much, and he is still useful to the organization. He escapes to the countryside where he meets Claire (

), and the two soon fall in love. Back in Paris to confront his employers, Terrier learns that they've stolen all his money from the bank. They give him an ultimatum—do one last job for them and he gets his money and his freedom.

Reviews

The film was reviewed in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' and ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

''.

Cast

as Martin Terrier / Christian *

as Claire *

as Félix *

Étienne Chicot Étienne Chicot (5 May 1949 – 7 August 2018) was a French actor and composer.François Perrot François Perrot (26 February 1924 – 20 January 2019)Stéphane Audran Stéphane Audran (born Colette Suzanne Dacheville; 8 November 1932 – 27 March 2018) was a French actress. She was known for her performances in award-winning films such as ''The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie'' (1972) and ''Babette's Feast'' ...

as Jeanne Faulques *

Féodor Atkine Féodor Atkine is a French actor of Russian-Polish origin, born on 27 February 1948 in Paris. A screen performer, he has participated in numerous plays, films and television series in France and abroad. Life and career Féodor Atkine was born ...

as Borévitch, aka "Boro" * Catherine Leprince as Mathilde *

Jean-Louis Richard Jean-Louis Richard (17 May 1927 – 3 June 2012) was a French actor, film director and scriptwriter. Biography Born as Jean Marius Richard in Paris, Richard was Jeanne Moreau's first husband from 1949 to 1951. Partial filmography *1960: '' � ...

as Maubert * Franck-Olivier Bonnet as Silvio * Dany Kogan as Rosana * Myriam Pisacane as The Blue Angel *

Isabelle Mergault Isabelle Mergault (born 11 May 1958) is a French actress, director, writer and television/radio personality. Personal life Isabelle Mergault was born in Aubervilliers, Seine-Saint-Denis near Paris Paris () is the capital and most populou ...

as The bank employee

References

External links

* * 1982 films 1980s crime thriller films Films about contract killing Films based on French novels French crime thriller films French neo-noir films Films directed by Robin Davis Films scored by Philippe Sarde 1980s French films {{1980s-France-film-stub