Série noire (film)

Série noire is a 1979 French crime film directed by Alain Corneau, adapted from Jim Thompson's novel A Hell of a Woman. The movie features performances by Patrick Dewaere, Marie Trintignant, and Bernard Blier. It tells the story of a struggling door-to-door salesman whose deteriorating marriage and involvement with a teenage prostitute draw him into a spiral of robbery and murder. The film was showcased at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot

Set in the suburbs of Paris, Franck Poupart works as a door-to-door salesman while living with his depressed wife in a dilapidated apartment. Battling mood swings and addiction, Franck is on the hunt for a debtor named Tikides. At an elderly woman’s home, he is propositioned with sex involving her underage niece Mona in exchange for purchasing a dressing gown. Although tempted, Franck manages to resist.

Following a violent quarrel, Franck’s wife leaves him. His employer, aware of Franck’s dishonesty, has him arrested. After Mona pays off his debt, Franck discovers she took the money from her aunt’s hidden cash reserve. He suggests they steal the money and run away together; Mona agrees but cautions him about her aunt’s concealed pistol.

Franck recruits Tikides as an accomplice; after killing the aunt and obtaining the pistol, Franck shoots Tikides. He leaves Mona to take responsibility for the crime with the police while he returns home with the stolen money.

His wife comes back, pregnant and hopeful, but upon finding the cash and reading about the crime in the news, she confronts Franck. To keep her silent, he kills her. When his boss demands the stolen funds, Franck hands them over without resistance. Outside waits Mona—his final remaining link.

Cast

• Patrick Dewaere as Franck Poupart
• Myriam Boyer as Jeanne, his wife
• Marie Trintignant as Mona
• Bernard Blier as Staplin
• Jeanne Herviale as Mona's aunt
• Andreas Katsulas as Andreas Tikides

Pre-production

In 1978, Alain Corneau gained prominence with Police Python 357 and La Menace. For his subsequent project, he sought to craft a realistic film inspired by Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, incorporating contemporary music and authentic locations. Initially intending to adapt Jim Thompson's Pop 1280, this plan was abandoned. Corneau then shifted focus to another Thompson novel, A Hell of a Woman, collaborating on the screenplay with Georges Perec. They encountered difficulties condensing Thompson’s intricate narrative and tailoring it to French cultural context.

Corneau was adamant about casting Patrick Dewaere as Frank Poupart, even threatening to stop production if he declined. After discussions about the project, Dewaere enthusiastically accepted the role, receiving several script drafts and demonstrating strong dedication. His intense preparation involved adopting aspects of the character’s demeanor and drawing from personal challenges, leading to notable weight loss.

The character of Mona was assigned to Marie Trintignant, whose previous film work was mostly limited to projects directed by her mother Nadine, who was also Corneau’s partner. Myriam Boyer was selected to portray Poupart’s wife; she developed a good working relationship with Dewaere. Bernard Blier took on the role of Frank’s boss; he was eager to collaborate with Dewaere due to connections through his son Bertrand Blier and mutual professional admiration.

Filming

Série noire was produced over a span of six weeks on a modest budget of FRF 2 million, with principal locations in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés and Créteil. Director Alain Corneau, influenced by Patrick Dewaere’s suggestions, moved away from improvisation but sought to capture spontaneous moments directly on set. He introduced a novel approach by utilizing two or three cameras simultaneously, employing minimal lighting alongside more sensitive film stock, and capturing live audio through wireless microphones.

The filming process was demanding; notably, Dewaere injured his head on a car hood during one take yet insisted on performing the scene himself despite freezing weather. Even with his struggles with substance dependence, he maintained clarity and delivered his dialogue impeccably. Additionally, Dewaere exhibited a protective attitude toward the 16-year-old Marie Trintignant. The cast fully immersed themselves in the film’s intense and violent atmosphere, with Trintignant later recalling the experience as “throwing ourselves into the scenes like animals.”

Certain sequences left a deep emotional mark: after shooting a brutal scene where Dewaere’s character assaults Myriam Boyer’s, he revealed feeling as though he was settling personal grievances. The strangulation scene proved particularly challenging; following it, Dewaere spoke about the psychological burden of "killing someone" on camera. In the concluding scene, despite his high regard for Bernard Blier, Dewaere was required to genuinely slap him at Blier’s request.

Concerning Trintignant’s nude scene, Corneau admitted its severity and lasting impact on her, suggesting it might have contributed to her later reluctance toward on-screen nudity.

Reception

When released in French cinemas on 25 April 1979 with an age restriction barring viewers under 18, the film achieved 847,651 admissions by the end of that year, placing it 41st in the annual box office rankings.