Tchao Pantin

Summary

“So long, stooge.”

Radiance Films continues its multi-lingual crusade to distribute interesting genre films from all over the world with its recent release of Tchao Pantin (or “So Long, Stooge” in French.) This Eighties neo-noir was popular in France, and brought accolades on director Claude Berri, star Coluche, and cinematographer Bruno Nuytten. The film was notable for Coluche for being a departure from a career marked more for comedic work. Coluche was a beloved figure in France that was known for the vulgarity of some of his comedy, and for his campaign for the Presidency in 1980. He loved fast vehicles, and perished in a motorcycle crash in 1985. Interestingly enough, this car crash still raises speculation as to whether or not he was purposefully killed. I had never heard of the film’s star or director, but I love the neo-noir genre, so I watched the film the other night.

In rain, a young man (Richard Anconina) with a moped is followed by the police. He arrives at a Total Gas Station and walks inside. He speaks with the middle-aged gas station attendant (Coluche) and asks for spark plugs. The attendant claims to not have the spark plugs he needs. The attendant watches as the man with the moped walks back in the rain down the street. Back at his apartment, the young man hides his money and drugs in his alphabetized books. He deals drugs at a nearby bar owned by Rachid (Mahmoud Zemmouri,) stashing the drugs close by in an apartment building. One day, he strikes up a conversation with the gas station attendant. The gas station employee is named Lambert and the drug dealer is named Youseff Bensoussan. Youseff is half-Arab and half-Jewish. Youseff’s source of drugs Rachid asks Youseff to grab his motorcycle for him and bring it to his club. Youseff takes it for a quick ride. He loves the bike. Youseff begins visiting Lambert at the station. Youseff does not drink, but he does smokes joints. Lambert accosts him for this, and Youseff points out that Lambert drinks alcohol every night. Youseff gives a ride on Rachid’s motorcycle to a blonde punk girl named Lola (Agnes Soral.) That night he tries to take her on a date on Rachid’s motorcycle, but she pushes him off to Tuesday at 10 PM. Youseff is surprised by Mahmoud and another when he returns to his apartment. They have come there about Rachid’s motorcycle. When Lambert does not see Youseff visit the gas station, he goes to Youseff’s apartment and finds him badly beaten. On Tuesday, Youseff steals a Honda motorcycle and picks up Lola. He claims his bike is in the shop, and shows her his bandaged face. That night, Youseff sleeps with her and she asks to take another ride on the bike. They are pulled over by a motorcycle cop for not wearing a helmet, and Youseff hits the officer in the throat and speeds off. He drops Lola off before speeding away again. Youseff tells Lambert the story, and also lets him know that he deals smack for Rachid. Lambert is disheartened, because he believes that Youseff will die soon enough. Lambert has a painful reason from his past for believing this that is revealed later. Soon circumstances will force Lambert to take actions against Rachid and his men.

Tchao Pantin was an immediate hit in its native country of France where it has held a good reputation for the last forty years. It is an effective drama that examines the difficulty that immigrants face acclimating into French society and the toll that drugs take upon innocents. It is also an effective neo-noir with well realized characters with motivations which make perfect sense. The screenplay by Claude Berri and Alain Page (based on his novel of the same name) ties everything together well and is very satisfying. The film is well paced and works well as both a character study drama and as a revenge thriller.

Tchao Pantin is extremely well shot. The cinematography by Bruno Nuytten is pretty astounding. The film tours Paris’s gritty urban landscapes, Eurotrash neon dwellings, the occasional punk club, and a very well lit gas station, with extremely strong visual appeal. Bruno Nuytten won a Cesar Award in his native France for his work on the film and it was well deserved. To learn more about the extraordinary measures taken to achieve the look of the film, I encourage you to check out the documentary featured on the disc.

The acting is excellent across the board. Coluche is affecting as the heartbroken gas station attendant who just wants to see his friend avoid harm. Richard Anconina is similarly great as Youssef, who dreams of a better life despite his terrible circumstances. Rounding out the cast, Agnes Soral who plays Lola, is also very good in the film. Claude Berri draws nuanced and engaging performances from all involved and blew people away with the great performance he pulled from Coluche.

Overall, Tchao Pantin is a winner. The reason why Radiance Films has engendered so much excitement amongst cinephiles is their dedication to exposing film collectors to releases such as this one. If you enjoy the neo-noir genre and well written character dramas, this melancholy little film should definitely be on your radar. Highly recommended.

Video

Tchao Pantin arrives on Blu-ray in 1080p from Radiance Films in its original 1.66:1 aspect ration. From the booklet: “Tchao Pantin was restored in 4K from the original camera negative by Pathé in 2014, under the supervision of cinematographer Bruno Nuytten. The film was delivered to Radiance as a high definition digital file and is presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio with the original mono audio mix.” The film was shot by cinematographer Bruno Nuytten whose remarkable work earned him a Cesar Award. This is an extraordinarily well shot film. As explained in the excellent documentary included on the disc, Bruno Nuytten essentially “lit everything,” including the Metro, the petrol station, or whatever was necessary to give the film an amazing look. Radiance’s presentation is a showstopper. 

Audio

Radiance Films has provided a DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track in French. The track is solid and does a good job of showcasing the occasional compositions by Charlelie Couture. While range is limited, the track still did a solid job of immersing me in the locations and compositions. I was happy with the track.

Supplements:

• Michael Abecassis – this is a solid introduction to the film from the French film scholar.
• Once Upon a Time. . . Tchao Pantin – this is a fantastic French television program called “A Film and its Era” which examines the production of Tchao Pantin and the context of the time and setting in Paris in which it was made. The documentary has excellent interviews with filmmaker Claude Berri, stars Richard Anconina, Agnes Soral, and Mahmoud Zemmouri, cinematographer Bruno Nuytten, author Alain Page, and associate producer Christian Spillemaecker. Fans of the film will really enjoy this piece.
• Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.75/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Tchao Pantin is a strongly rendered neo-noir character drama from Paris, France of the early Eighties. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Bruno Nuytten, the film was an immediate hit in its native country. Director Claude Berri’s film is melancholy and focuses on the people on the fringe of society in France that are most easily discarded. The acting in the film is superb and affecting, with a particularly strong performance by Coluche. The 4K restoration by Pathe used for this release looks fantastic in 1080p. If you enjoy these types of films, I highly encourage you to add this release to your collection. This is another really excellent discovery by Radiance Films. Highly recommended.