''Choice of Arms'' (French: ''Le Choix des armes'') is a

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

French crime film directed by

Alain Corneau Alain Corneau (7 August 1943 – 30 August 2010) was a French film director and writer. Corneau was born in Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret. Originally a musician, he worked with Costa-Gavras as an assistant, which was also his first opportunity to work ...

. The main roles are played by

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held stron ...

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

Gerard Depardieu Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful constituents put together. In this ca ...

. Although in structure a crime film, it is as much a character study of people under stress and an examination of aspects of French society.

Plot

Noël, a former gangster now breeding horses on his large estate outside Paris with his beautiful wife Nicole, has his quiet life turned upside down when two wanted crooks arrive in a stolen car. One is an old accomplice called Serge, fatally shot, while the other is a young psychotic called Mickey. When Serge dies, Noël buries him. Mickey goes into Paris and on his return finds two police detectives, Bonnardot and Sarlat, at Noël's house. After threatening them, he escapes and holes up with Dany, a friend in Paris. Thinking that Noël had betrayed him to the police, he turns up one evening as a dinner party is in progress and terrorises everybody. Realising that Mickey must be stopped, Noël sends Nicole to a hotel for safety and calls on two old accomplices to help him find the madman. But, learning that a prize mare is sick, Nicole breaks cover and slips back home one night. Mickey is waiting there and takes her captive. However, the police have been trailing her and Sarlat challenges Mickey. In an exchange of fire, Sarlat kills Nicole while Mickey gets away. Eventually, Noël and his friends locate Mickey's hideout and it is Noël on watch one morning when Mickey and Dany sortie out to rob the local bank. The bank guard shoots Mickey and, picking up the wounded man, Noël takes him to a safe house to die. However, the police have located the safe house and, in an exchange of fire, Sarlat kills Mickey. Then, considering Noël equally culpable, he empties the rest of his magazine without managing to hit him. After the last shot, Noël takes him captive and drives away. On a lonely road, he empties the rest of his magazine at Sarlat, deliberately not hitting him, and leaves him there in shock. In a postscript, we see Noël adopt the little daughter of Mickey, whose mother had committed suicide.

Cast

as Noel Durieux * Gérard Depardieu as Mickey *

as Nicole Durieux *

Michel Galabru Michel Louis Edmond Galabru (27 October 19224 January 2016) was a French actor. Career Galabru appeared in more than 250 films and worked with directors such as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson (for ''Subway''), and Jean-Luc Godard. ...

as Bonnardot *

Jean-Claude Dauphin Jean-Claude Dauphin, born Claude Legrand on March 16, 1948 in Boulogne-Billancourt, is a French actor. Biography He is the son of actor Claude Dauphin and actress Maria Mauban, the grand-son of the poet Maurice Étienne Legrand and nephew ho ...

as Ricky *

Gérard Lanvin Gérard Lanvin (; born 21 June 1950) is a César Award-winning French actor. He quit his studies when he was 17 to become an actor. He took on a role in '' Vous n'aurez pas l'Alsace et la Lorraine'' in 1977 on an offer from the actor Coluche. H ...

as Sarlat *

Christian Marquand Christian Marquand (15 March 1927 – 22 November 2000) was a French actor, screenwriter and film director. Born in Marseille, he was born to a Spanish father and an Arab mother, and his sister was film director Nadine Trintignant. He was often ca ...

as Jean *

Étienne Chicot Étienne Chicot (5 May 1949 – 7 August 2018) was a French actor and composer.Richard Anconina Richard Anconina (; born 28 January 1953) is a French actor. He won the César Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1983, and for Best Actor in 1989. Filmography *1977 : ''Comment se faire réformer'' directed by Philippe Clair *1978 : ''Les Réfo ...

as Dany

External links

* * 1981 films 1981 crime films French crime films Films scored by Philippe Sarde 1980s French films {{1980s-France-film-stub