The Old Gun (1975) User Reviews

One of the greatest war movies!

[alajus · 9/10 · 29 July 2008]

After reading other reviews and comments on 'Le Vieux Fusil' I see that this film has been vastly misunderstood. Yes it is about revenge but it is above all a love story. It is about the love of a man for his wife and daughter. I watched the movie as a teenager and have not seen it in years but to this day this is the impression it left on me. It is a beautiful love story between two people, and a man who would do anything to avenge the people he loved more than anything. Some scenes are incredibly violent and we can only imagine the atrocities people have gone through during the war. Atrocities that like in this movie make Philippe Noiret's character flip.

Romy Schneider and Philippe Noiret are both magnificent in their roles.

Violent and thought-provoking WWII drama in which a surgeon seeks vengeance against Nazis

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 11 February 2011]

Strong War/drama set in France during WWII with marvelous main cast as Philippe Noiret and Romy Schneider . Montauban in 1944, Julien Dandieu (Philippe Noiret) is a doctor in the local hospital. Frightened by the Nazi army coming Montauban, and occupying the little town , he asks his partner Francois (Jean Bouise ) to led his spouse (Romy Schneider) and daughter in the back country villa where Julien owns an old mansion . Some days later, Julien decided to meet then for the weekend, but the Nazis are already taking the village and the castle . He turns into Revenger Angel when his family is attacked by furious Germans (Joachim Hansen , Robert Hoffman ) , as his wife is fired and daughter is shot. Then he stalks the Nazis and takes the law into his own hands, searching vengeance .

This exciting film contains romantic elements , brooding drama ,suspense , intrigue, thrills and lots of violence. Noiret is top-notch in a fully-formed main role as grief-plagued surgeon becoming avenger and he displays efficiently his old rifle killing mercilessly nasties .It's certainly thrilling , though the morality may be questionable , even in this time, as the spectators were clearly on the Noiret-Julien's side . It has a complex pace by means flashbacks in which are narrated the lovely relationship between the amiable surgeon and the attractive Romy Schneider . Colorful cinematography by Becker , being correctly remastered . Enjoyable musical score including a sensible leitmotif is composed and conducted by Francois De Roubaix .The motion picture is stunningly written and directed by by Robert Enrico . He was a good professional who directed interesting films as ¨Jailsbird vacation¨ , ¨Rum Runners¨, ¨The wise guys¨ and his masterpiece ¨The adventurers¨ and of course ¨The old fusil¨ . Rating : 7,5 , better than average. The film will appeal to French cinema lovers

Fighting fire with fire!

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 4 August 2021]

On June 10th 1944, less than two weeks before the Normandy landings, almost the entire population of the village of Oradour-sur-Glane was slaughtered by members of a Waffen SS division. That atrocity is not reconstructed here but forms the basis of Robert Enrico's film.

Surgeon Julien Dandieu arrives at the village where he grew up, the castle of which he happens to own, only to find a scene of mass carnage in which his beloved wife and daughter have perished. His unbearable grief soon gives way to a natural, all-consuming hatred for the Nazi perpetrators who have taken over the castle. Taking advantage of his intimate knowledge of the castle with all its hidden passages and armed only with a double-barrelled shotgun used for hunting wild boar, he sets about stalking his human prey and exacting retribution. The method by which he disposes of the highest ranking SS officer is singularly appropriate.

Suffice to say this is a grim, harrowing and violent film, at times graphically so but has great tension, momentum and first class editing.

It is in effect an early 'vigilante' movie but is well balanced by being a love story also. The use of flashbacks to show the domestic bliss of Dandieu, his wife Clara and their daughter is dramatically very effective.

As Clara the wondrous Romy Schneider once again touches the heartstrings.

The film proved extremely popular with French audiences who had never seen anything like it before. Despite its merits I am not certain that it deserved to win the César for Best Picture although its emotive subject matter no doubt helped and the competition that year was not that stiff. I also found the jaunty title music of Enrico's preferred composer Francois de Roubaix rather incongruous. Pleased to say that the superlative Philippe Noiret in his second collaboration with this director, was awarded the first of his two Césars and a Donatello for his riveting performance as Dandieu. Also of note are Jean Bouise giving his customary understated performance as a family friend and the excellent Joachim Hansen who has succeeded in making the SS officer more than just a one-dimensional nasty Nazi.

This piece, which established Enrico as a director, mixes the genres of war, action, romance and it must be said, exploitation.

We must not lose track of the horrific historical event that inspired the film which acts as a distressing reminder of the barbaric cruelty to which humans can sink.

A thriller that glues the watcher to the screen

[amorim-3 · 10/10 · 23 May 2006]

One of the best "war" films from the french cinema. The cruelty and the feelings are perfectly depicted Unforgettable the scene where Philippe Noiret knows what happened to his wife and daughter. The developing of the action is not as usual since the good old days are not in the beginning of the movie, but in the middle via the projection of home movies by the German soldiers, who murdered the two women. The systematic battle between the doctor and several soldiers,in a crescendo of violence that takes place in a "huis clos" is an example of directing and editing. The finale is like a balloon that is out of gas, the climax was attained and one more the leading actor shows how not to act to show true feelings.

Blood, sweat and tears.

[punishmentpark · 8/10 · 11 May 2016]

Someone said this to be the French 'Straw dogs', and so I got interested. There are some similarities, especially the revenge motif, but other than that, 'Le vieux fusil' is quite a unique film on its own.

Philippe Noiret is perfect to play the this character, who becomes instantly obsessed with revenge after he finds his wife raped (this is shown in a flashback, but his character can only guess) and burnt alive with a flame thrower, and his daughter shot in the back. His character, Julien, is a respected doctor who tries to go on with his life in spite of the war, even joking about a nurse's sex life and not putting up much of a fight when the enemy comes into his hospital to take some suspects away - what could he do?

Well, what he could do, we see later on, but only when his close family is involved. Like a trained soldier, he works out a plan in which he continuously manages to keep the upper hand over the Germans, who at some point are sure they are surrounded by many Partisans - his extensive knowledge of the castle and its architectural secrets being his great advantage.

The film switches back and forth between sweet and sour memories of Julien, his wife and his daughter, and the brutal attacks he embarks upon to exact revenge - in the end it becomes clear how much he lost his mind. It did go back and forth a little too much for my taste, but it's still a pretty unique and intense piece of film, immersed in blood, sweat and tears.

8 out of 10.

Nauseatingly violent but captivating

[blom0344 · 7/10 · 21 January 2013]

I saw this on television some years after its cinematic release, more or less by chance. It took all the time up until Schindler's List before I witnessed such realistic violence again. This film is part love story and part Rambo and though cleverly filmed and staged it is a bit of a bewildering experience. It took weeks to shake off the image of the grizzly and sadistic way Romy Schneider met her end. I'm sure these kind of atrocities took place in occupied Europe,but it is another matter of having to put up with it on the screen. Noiret going Rambo style against the Germans is thrilling though a bit over-the-top. Lots of style, well acted, but too grizzly for me.

@writers_reign

[vrapp · 10/10 · 10 May 2010]

> This is where we may wonder why it has taken so much to rouse this peaceful man;

Everybody has his own threshold of awakening; and this film is actually the story of awakening - this is why the whole first part showing his peaceful life, even during the war, up until he is led to his threshold, and so the contrast between that and merciful killer that he becomes, becomes even more powerful.

> The next question we find ourselves asking is why he is content to go up against men armed with pistols, rifles,machine guns, grenades and flame-throwers with only a shotgun rather than picking off one man and appropriating his weaponry.

The best weapon is the weapon you are used to, the weapon you trust. Plus, this old gun together with the old castle and their old owner, become one collective weapon against the invaders. Not wise to take one piece out.

The old France (dad)

[leplatypus · 7/10 · 2 April 2017]

For those who like the real France, this movie is a recommendation: it's not about Paris, fashion, artists or politicians but it's about provincial life, with old bricks, nature, simple life, historic furniture and lack of technology... I'm sure that today the locations are as old, as quiet as if time doesn't happen...The story is not that invented because my native land faced this same tragedy with the small town of Oradour: beastly, inhuman, bloody SS killed civilians, children, women, old people... I'm surprised to see that the tragedy comes so soon but for one time, all the flashbacks are pretty moving... The director is really inspired to involve the audience and honestly, Noiret has the part of his career while Romy is the usual shining / anxious wife...the DVD (without subtitles!!!) says that critics lament about the violence but it's another proof that those Parisian professionals have limited scope, skills and intelligence!!!

One of the best French movie ever made

[JoDelp · 10/10 · 15 January 2016]

Moving, thrilling, upsetting, The Old Gun is a piece of art with beautiful performances. I love the pace, which adds to the suspense and helps the viewer empathize with the main character, played by Philippe Noiret who slowly becomes the people who he is chasing. Above all, a beautiful love story that take place at the wrong time and the wrong place. If you are interested in movies that star the icon Philippe Noiret, that most people would know from the Italian classic cinema Paradiso, then you should watch some of his earlier work like this French master piece. The scene that really defines this intense movie is when Philippe Noiret kills a German officer from the other side of a mirror. it's an example of how this film is a piece of pure cinema and the dialogue kept to a minimum.

To paraphrase Chekhov

[IWasKnownAsThe1SentenceReviewer · 6/10 · 14 December 2021]

To paraphrase Chekhov's "One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn't going to go off (as) it's wrong to make promises you don't mean to keep", one should never hide an old gun if it isn't going to be used with purpose in the second half of the movie.

the revenge of an ordinary man

[dromasca · 8/10 · 6 August 2022]

'Le vieux fusil', Robert Enrico's 1975 film has a glorious history, at least from the point of view of the Cesar awards that reward the best French films. It won the award for the best film of the year it was released, and ten years later it also won a Cesar of the Cesars, a kind of award for the 'best of the best' award-winning films. In perspective, the appreciation seems slightly exaggerated. The film fits well with a time when France looked nostalgically at the heroism of the Resistance and wanted to forget the collaborationism that had dominated the country politically for most of the war years. From an artistic point of view, the film has many qualities but also some aspects that have somewhat degraded with the passage of time.

It is an heroic story based on real events (even if they did not happen exactly as described in the film) from the summer of 1944. The Allies had landed in Normandy, the collaborationist regime was beginning to fall apart, the German occupiers were retreating. The doctor Julien Dandieu lived a quiet life with his beautiful wife Clara and their teenage daughter. When the situation in the town of Montauban where Julien practiced his profession became threatening, he sent his family to the family castle in a mountain village. Just there, however, a German platoon killed the entire population of the hamlet, including Julien's family, in horrific circumstances. The moment he realized the horror of what happened, the peaceful doctor turned into a fierce avenger.

It can be speculated that Robert Enrico was influenced by the very fashionable revenge films of the time, with Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson as protagonists. The theme is not alien to classic westerns either. Melodramatic and kind of sketchy? Maybe. The quality of the film derives from the fact that it manages to truthfully describe the traumatic psychological transformation that the hero goes through, from a peaceful citizen into a revenge machine, up to the extent of the horror that destroyed his family and his life. Constant flashbacks build the history of Julien and Clara's relationship. The fact that it wasn't a perfect marriage adds to the authenticity. Ordinary people can become vengeful killing machines under extreme conditions. The moral dilemma is not deepened but only suggested. Philippe Noiret and Romy Schneider deliver two of the solid performances of their careers. Narration is flawless. The filming location - a labyrinthine castle, the details of which are much better known to the owner than to the German occupiers - is excellently constructed as a set. The music, extremely discreet and expressive, belongs to Francois de Roubaix, a very talented film composer, who had managed to compose the music for over a hundred films by then, even though he was only 35 years old. It was his last film, as de Roubaix died in a scuba diving (his life's hobby) accident in Tenerife shortly afterwards. One more reason to watch or re-watch 'Le vieux fusil', a film that, even if it has lost some of its original brilliance, is very interesting in many ways.

One of the rare WW2 movies in which you will see vehicles equipped with so-called "wood gas generators".

[Erik_Surewaard · 6/10 · 11 April 2024]

Taking place in France, just after the allied invasion of Normandy, this is the story of a successful hospital surgeon whom takes revenge on a group of SS soldiers. The movie is a combination of events taking place at that specific moment and flashbacks to prior (more happy) times.

This movie made in France and released in 1975. The acting is pretty decent, with the popular actress Romy Schneider - whom gained worldwide popularity due to her iconic role as "Sissi" - in one of the lead roles. I think that her role in this movie may have had a very positive effect on the popularity (IMDb rating) of this movie.

The fact that this movie was produced in the 70's, gives it the advantage that much equipment from WW2 is still easily available. What is especially interesting to see, is the use of cars that are powered by so-called "wood gas generators". Not to be confused by "gas vans" that were used by germans to kill prisoners, "wood gas generators" are systems whereby a combustion engines - whom normally run on petrol or diesel fuels - use wood / charcoal / coal as fuel. The latter are thereby "gassified" allowing making it fit to use instead of petrol. This movie shows quite a number of vehicles equipped with several variants of gas generators. After a country was occupied by Germany, which caused petrol fuel to be prioritized for the Nazi forces, civilians converted their cars by equipping it with a gas generator. Closer to the end of WW2, they were also seen on german (military) vehicles, due to shortages and low availability of petrol fuel. Such gas generator systems are quite rare to see in a WW2 movie. This movie however, shows quite a number of vehicles, with systems on top of the roof (large cylinders) or variants that are installed right next to the engine.

I personally found this movie just acceptable: I score it at 5.8/10, resulting in an IMDb rating of 6 stars. I am personally not biased by having Romy Schneider feature in one of the main roles. Thing that I did not like are the regular flashbacks and most annoyingly the unrealistic manner in which the doctor is able to fight against a group of SS soldiers. If you are open to "James Bond"-like fiction, where you always see someone win in the most impossible of situations, I think that you may like this movie a lot better. This may explain the difference between my rating and the relative high average rating of 7.5 stars.

The pace of the film is perfect, and inexorable.

[jincent · 20 December 2000]

The story telling is utterly convincing, and because of the flashback technique, we feel the emotion of the main character (Julien) as the drama unfolds. The suspense is keen and mounting. The viewer keeps asking with increasing intensity: is this what I would do in Julien's position? His mistakes make us groan, his successes make us cheer. His pathos makes us cry.

Rambau Partisan

[GianfrancoSpada · 9/10 · 7 September 2023]

Raw, tragic, and incredibly poetic, a direct blow to the heart. A low-budget film that masterfully plays all the best cinematic cards and reaches a supremely lyrical level. A masterful performance by an exceptional cast, portraying well-constructed roles and using montages built through continuous flashbacks that skillfully blend highly dramatic moments with poetic ones. Memory, recollection, personal experiences of an ordinary citizen who takes revenge into his own hands.

The protagonist, far from being painted as a heroic and superhuman Rambo (Stallone's "Rambo" film would come only 8 years later, undoubtedly drawing from this), is an everyday man in an extraordinary situation overwhelmed by events.

A microhistory, like many untold ones, that reminds us of the horrors of wars and the power of love that can overcome even in a tragic way. A tragicomedy, like Greek tragedies can be, with an ending that is not happy but somehow comforting. It makes us love the character in all his tragicness and it makes us accompany him, on the dark side of revenge.

Will I watch more Enrico? Possibly. Am I intrigued? Yes

[J_J_Gittes · 10/10 · 26 June 2012]

I just watched Le vieux fusil by Robert Enrico in 35mm at the cinema (unfortunately dubbed into German) and it was a hell of a strange film. Philippe Noiret is great in the lead role, though totally unbelievable. First he marries Romy Schneider, and then he kills a dozen trained German soldiers one after the other single-handedly. The whole film basically knows only one sombre mood, and doesn't really add any (melo)drama to what is happening. Incredibly, this film won a César for best French film of the year (what the heck!? - in a year where Zulawski's L'important c'est d'aimer was eligible!!!) and was nominated for numerous more. While it was an interesting and worthwhile film, I can't possibly see why this Rambo-type revenge story was considered so great/important at the time it was made. At least I might have become a Noiret-fan through this. The film is all about Noiret, and Romy is only there as eye-candy or to explain the emotional turmoil of the lead character. She has to play her usual „slutty" role of a person with bipolar disorder and I can't help but wonder why she regularly chose those similar roles. Despite being a great actress, Enrico really doesn't give her much to work with (he is clearly no Zulawski...) but maybe she was eager to do a more light-hearted role after her phenomenal (and deservingly) César-winning performance in L'important c'est d'aimer. I watched the edited version that was released to German theaters in the 70s and was missing at least the full scene of Romy's death. Will I watch more Enrico? Possibly. Am I intrigued? Yes. But is this really a remarkable film? I don't quite think so. Nevertheless very much worth seeing because of its utterly peculiar and bizarre vibe.

Son Of A Gun

[writers_reign · 9/10 · 18 June 2007]

Overall the Cesars get it right in terms of Best Film and if they occasionally make a complete dog's breakfast of it - as they did with L'Esquive - they have a large backlog of rewarding films as fine as this one. Robert Enrico dealt with War memorably in Au Coeur de la vie and here he does so again; different war, age-old tragedies. Superficially this comes under the 'last straw that broke the camel's back' heading crossed with what may be described as the Destry Rides Again syndrome, the protagonist finally driven to take up the gun once cast aside. Enrico begins with an idyllic sequence as the Dandieu family complete with dog cycle through a countryside in which God is in his heaven and all's right with the world. The image freezes and a caption supplies the date: 1944. We then meet the family again in wartime; Julien (Phillipe Noiret), Clara (Romy Schneider) and young daughter Florence. Even in wartime this is a HAPPY family and unprepossessing men everywhere are thinking they could do with a drop-dead gorgeous wife like Schneider whilst kids in the wake of mild chastisement wish they could belong to a family like THAT. Indeed Julien is so laid-back he makes Bing Crosby seem riddled with tension and the film hinges on what makes this worm turn. With the Germans advancing Julien prevails upon a friend to drive wife, daughter and dog to a country retreat he owns in a fairly isolated spot. When he gets a minute he drives up there himself just in time to see his daughter shot and his wife incinerated by a flame-thrower making a full set of dead villagers. This, of course, is when he feels the need for revenge and so breaks out his old hunting rifle. This is where we may wonder why it has taken so much to rouse this peaceful man; it is, after all, 1944, the fifth year of a world war and one in which France has been occupied for most of it; surely even as a civilian he has seen sufficient horrors and as a surgeon has dealt with them at first hand. The next question we find ourselves asking is why he is content to go up against men armed with pistols, rifles,machine guns, grenades and flame-throwers with only a shotgun rather than picking off one man and appropriating his weaponry.

If we don't dwell on these logical questions it is because the performances are so compelling as is Enrico's narrative style which switches back and forth in time but not necessarily chronologically and keeps well in reserve such relevations as the fact that Schneider already had the daughter when she met Noiret and was well aware of his plainness. This is nothing short of superb; beautifully written, directed and acted, and more than worthy of its Best Film Cesar.

A wonderful movie - but I must notify of one bad feature.

[reubenvictoor · 8/10 · 13 August 2014]

Many people have already made clear why this movie is so incredibly good. It is definitely worth watching.

There is one thing however that bothers me in this movie. Without spoiling, you will see that this man cares so much more about his wife than his daughter. This is awfully unrealistic for the hero in a movie, but necessary seen the famous actress playing the wife (they had to give her more screen time).

Other than that, the action is great for its time. It is a realistic revenge story, so don't expect Jason Statham killing over a 100 Nazi's in half an hour. This movie keeps it real and touches your heart, don't watch it for the action.

The most terrific French movie ever

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10/10 · 8 February 2022]

I don't understand why some people don't like this film, they say that it is old fashioned. Of course it takes place in the forties and has nothing to do with the CGI generation. Maybe this is this mix up between romance and tragedy, drama and brutality as it was never shown before in a French film, maybe it is the gloomy scheme of this masterpiece that disturbs some sissies, who maybe had waited for something else. Sure Philippe Noiret gives a performance totally, entirely different of what he usually showed. Nothing to do with ALEXANDRE LE BIENHEUREUX. This is a true performance for him, and that probably shocked many audiences. And Romy Schneider is so moving here, her character grabs you at the guts. You suffer, feel pain and that's precisely the purpose of this feature. Please, ifyou belong to the ones who have never seen it before, if you are lucky enough to discover it, please, please, run for it. Definitely.

Now I've begun to think like a gun.

[dbdumonteil · 8 July 2007]

I know a lot of people will disagree,but "le Vieux Fusil" is far from being Enrico's best .The "Dictionnaire des Films " gives no star to it,which is going a bit too far ,but is not thoroughly unjustified.

Let's put it straight;Enrico's best are his early efforts :his masterful "Au coeur de la vie" ,the intense beauty of which no review will reveal,"La Belle Vie" ,a courageous plea against the Algerian war,and "les Aventuriers" a much more accessible work with Hustonian accents.

"Le Vieux Fusil" is admittedly a good movie;nevertheless a 7.9 rating -at my time of writing-is much more than it deserves.First part -although a fiction based on real facts dealing with the martyrs of the end of the Occupation - is the best:Romy Schneider's presence (the fact she was actually a German actress is not a problem) and the harrowing scene of her death are strong assets.

But the second part could be described as "Rambo meets Louis Feuillade" .The hero singlehandedly does away with a whole German patrol who's housed in his castle full of two way mirrors,secret passages,oubliettes,etc.It looks like an old Feuillade serial circa 1915 .

Chinese people are full of memories of this movie

[imprisonment · 8/10 · 4 March 2019]

It was introduced at a time when cultural products were severely barren, and now it is full of feelings.

2 mistakes in the review titled "Son of a gun"

[ledoux-laurent · 12 November 2016]

Sadly the reviewer did not watch properly the movie : 1. Noiret/Dandieu does not arrive "just in time" to see his family killed : he imagineswhat has happened (perhaps one or two days before; unclear).

2. The girl is his daughter; not Romy/Clara's I did not plan to write more but I am forced to write at least 1O lines (silly rule).

This is a movie I first saw when I was 12 or 13.

It made a lasting impression on me.

I love its pace, the acting (Noiret in particular), Romy's beauty, charm and accent.

And the music by François de Roubaix.

Splendid

[vedinfowind · 10 December 2020]

Nice movie please watch. You can watch second time also.

special to personal

[Kirpianuscus · 28 July 2022]

I admit - I saw this film for Romy Scheider . And she propose just a beautiful role.

But the film has the virtue to be a splendid, perfect puzzle. Offering , at the first sight, a story of revenge. In fact, scene by scene, the story becomes one of the viewer. The need to protect the loved one and the terrible mistake for do it, the pressure of Militia and the impossibility to give the fair answer, the gun, the castle , the mirror with double sides.

In same measure, it is a tender love story. From a husband for his wife - second chance. For his daughter.

It is a story of friendship. A wise crafted one.

But , more important, it is a story about death. The fire execution of Clara remains one of the greatest scenes of French cinema. The pit and the water covering it, the mirror, off course, the sink.

It is more than a beautiful film.

And that makes it just special.