L'amour braque is a mystifying beast of a film. Andrzej Zulawski's third French language film was made one year after La femme publique in 1985. It boldly mixes the style of an indescribable action film with philosophical musing, surrealist set pieces, and knowingly absurd dialog. All of the proceedings are inspired by the writing of Dostoyevsky as L'amour braque is an adaptation of The Idiot. Make no mistake, this is a radical work that may even confound some well versed in Zulawski's cinematic oeuvre.
The story is set in modern day Paris and begins with a bank robbery led by gang leader Micky (Tcheky Karyo). Shenanigans ensue leading up to a meeting on a train with Hungarian immigrant Leo who is taken for an idiot by the aberrant crew surrounding Micky. Leo is played by Francis Huster, fresh off his consummate work with Zulawski in La femme publique. For some mysterious reason, Leon follows Micky around and becomes entangled in his affairs and personal life. Following the successful bank robbery Micky is determined to reconnect with his young lover Mary. Sophie Marceau acts as Mary and L'amour braque is the first of four cinematic works that Zulawski would forge with eventual second wife Marceau. When Micky arrives to retrieve Mary she is instantly drawn to Leo's unusual energy. Hence, another Zulawski love triangle emerges.
The look of L'amour braque is magnificent. The director of photography, Jean-Francois Robin also shot Jean Rollin's poetically beautiful Lips of Blood. Zulawski records unbelievably artistic renderings of criminal shootouts, objects and even a person being set aflame via the use of blowtorches. Recalling a number of other Zulawski films the swooping camera expertly moves through long hallways, spiral staircases and city streets. The overwhelming kinetic energy is depicted with neon saturated lighting showing the underbelly of Paris as a pulp hallucination. Unfortunately, Stanislaw Syrewicz's soundtrack sounds awfully dated at times though certain sections work for the images and emotions seen on the screen. Like Alain Wisniak's score for La femme publique, it doesn't detract from the overall experience yet it doesn't greatly enhance the film either like the hugely superior Andrzej Korzynski soundtrack work for Zulawski's films.
Song writer Etienne Roda-Gil wrote the anomalous script with Zulawski. Taking in the monstrously unconventional film dialog it is no surprise to find out that Roda-Gil had a background in writing experimental songs prior to trying his hand at working on a film script. Human emotion becomes fractured into an amalgam of poetic rhythm, word play, specific cultural slang and personal reference points. The less said about the dialog the better as L'amour braque is something that needs to be experienced directly as it will surely lead to divisive responses.
As L'amour braque continues the challenging aspects of the film accumulate. Leo moves through the streets of Paris constantly searching for and re-establishing his special connection with Mary. His presence alone sparks bad situations and outcomes. The fatalistic and masochistic decisions made by Mary live out a troubling bond with her deceased mother's past.
 |
| Andrzej Zulawski directing Sophie Marceau |
