• Release year: 1979
• Director: Alain Corneau.
• Producer: Maurice Bernart.
• Screenplay by: Georges Perec and Alain Corneau.
• Cinematography by: Pierre-William Glenn.

Shotgun Commentary: tedious and dragged-on.

Review

Série Noire follows Franck (Patrick Dewaere), a manchild who tries to be a smart hustler but never wins because he is actually just a dumb, entitled man. His adventures go from bad to worse, hurting everyone around him and bringing no benefit whatsoever to anyone involved.

You next nightmare

Have you been looking for a film with a protagonist so insufferable you can feel your blood boil harder the more you watch? Look no further! If you are searching for the most pitiful excuse for a man ever conceived by a human mind to make your latest Chad look less like a waste of time, here it is! Franck is everything you pray to never encounter in your life. In his case, the six points of separation theory feels more like a threat than a fun fact.

Dewaere absolutely nails this role, effectively embodying one of the most loathsome characters in cinema history. It is not often that the protagonist of a film is so clearly the villain, which makes Série Noire part of a pretty select group. Dewaere’s bold performance includes pretty difficult stunts further than the acting itself, which make the action more entertaining and spice up the narrative from time to time.

Female presence

The main supporting characters are two women and one man, all of which position themselves underneath Franck in an imaginary hierarchy, despite the little sense it makes in some instances. The first woman, his wife Jeanne (Myriam Boyer), is a quiet woman. She finds quiet acts of rebellion her only solace in the dreadful existence she is forced to share with her husband.

Considering this story takes place at the end of the 70s, it is not uncommon to see women play maid, nanny and mum to their husbands. Still, it is hilarious to see Franck textually complain about her wife not being his mum, but those mummy issues are sadly never unpacked as they deserved.

The second woman in his life, or, more accurately, child, is Mona (Marie Trintignant). She is a minor, pimped by her aunt to anyone and everyone. Her lack of maturity stops her from seeing Franck as the disappointment that he is, leading her to believe in his empty promises and ridiculous plans.

Conclusion

So far, these supporting characters are beneath Franck for social reasons or lack of experience. However, the fact that the other person he socialises with is Tikides (Andreas Katsulas), a Greek immigrant who displays some sort of mental disorder, confirms that Franck is so insecure that he needs to feel like the most powerful person in the room or else he breaks down. A suspicion that is confirmed every time anyone refuses to do as he says and he has a meltdown.

All in all, Série Noire is an exploration of toxic individuals and why it is so important to avoid them at all costs. Contrary to Police Python 357 (1976), this Corneau feature has fascinating characters that you might love or hate, but will certainly spark interest in you. If you can look past the rage-inducing behaviour of the protagonist and put on your unfeeling-psychoanalyst robe, you will have a field day with this one, for sure!

Radiance’s box set “Hardboiled: Three Pulp Thrillers by Alain Corneau”, featuring Police Python 357, Série noire, and Choice of Arms, is now available. Link below!

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• High-Definition digital transfers, presented on three discs
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio for each film
• Audio commentary by Mike White on Police Python 357 (2024)
• Maxim Jakubowski on Police Python 357’s source novel and adaptation (2024)
• Archival interview with Alain Corneau and François Périer about Police Python 357 from Belgian Television (1976)
• Série noire set interviews with Alain Corneau, Patrick Dewaere and Miriam Boyer from Belgian Television (1981)
• Série noire: The Darkness of the Soul – An archival documentary featuring cast and crew on the making of the film (2013, 53 mins)
• Archival interview with Alain Corneau and Marie Trintignant about Série noire  (2002, 30 mins)
• A visual essay about Jim Thompson adaptations for the screen by Paul Martinovic (2024)
• Introduction by documentary filmmaker Jérôme Wybon (2024)
• Shooting Choice of Arms – interviews with the cast and crew including behind-the-scenes footage (1981)
• Interviews with Deneuve, Montand and Depardieu from the set (1981) 
• Interview with Manuela Lazic on Yves Montand in the 1970s (2024)
• Trailers
• Optional English subtitles for each film
• Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
• Limited edition 80-page booklet featuring new writing by Andrew Male, Nick Pinkerton, Charlie Brigden, and newly translated archival writing 
• Limited edition of 2500 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and marking

Find the Radiance release right here!

Advice to take from this movie:

• If your partner lays a hand on you, leave. No excuses. No nothing. LEAVE them.
• Never trust a door-to-door salesman.
• If you have a weird obsession with minors, do society (and yourself) a favour and go to therapy, please.

What’s your take? Have you watched Série Noire? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀