Quand passent les faisans (1965)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Edouard Molinaro

Writers:

Michel Audiard (dialogue)
Jacques Emmanuel (writer)

Release Date:

10 September 1965 (France)

Cast

Paul Meurisse	...	Alexandre Larsan-Bellac
Bernard Blier	...	Hyacinthe Camus
Jean Lefebvre	...	Arsène Baudu
Michel Serrault	...	Ribero
Yvonne Clech	...	Valerie Patterson
Claire Maurier	...	Micheline Camus
Daniel Ceccaldi	...	Barnave
Robert Dalban	...	Le portier de l'hôtel
Roger Dutoit	...	Arthur Thibaut
Jacques Dynam	...	Le chauffeur de Ribero
Véronique Vendell	...	Jeanne
Yves Arcanel
Jean-Marie Arnoux		(as J.M. Arnoux)
Jean-Henri Chambois	...	Un homme escroqué (as J.H. Chambois)
Dominique Delpierre

Also Known As:

When the Peasants Pass (International: English title)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Gaumont Distribution

For Audiard's fans only

Mostly unknown, but could be regarded as a masterpiece of french writer Michel Audiard. This has been written during its golden years, somewhere between "Les Barbouzes" and "Ne nous fâchons pas". Edouard Molinaro admitted that it was as much his movie as Audiard's one. "Quand passent les faisans" gathers part of the team of the famous "Tontons Flingueurs" (Bernard Blier, Jean Lefebvre) as a pair of lousy crooks (feasant in french slang). They eventually meet a greater professional who tries to teach them higher tricks, Paul Meurisse. Thus, it offers Meurisse one of it's best role in a comedy. He can be considered as one of the most classy french actor ever, and one of the rare who includes a very English non-sense in its play and attitude. As far as cinema art is concerned we are far away from Orson Wells, but it is not the point. Each and every line of the actors are delightful. That's why (french)spectators are here. For the rest of the world, assuming that a non-french speaker would ever get the opportunity, not speaking of the will, of seeing it, all of this must appear as a great mystery ...