Angel's Leap (1971)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Best movie of this year hands down!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Blistering performances.

As others have already observed, "Le Saut De L'Ange" is basically a French version of "Get Carter" (made the same year), and like in that film, there is no one for the audience to root for, as it tells the story of a bloody vendetta where all parties are equally brutal and vicious. The story is typical, and there are also some technical faults (like a car driver getting hurt in his right eye but later shown with his left eye injured), but there is also some fine stuntwork and memorable scenes (like the killing at the drive-in - I don't remember ever seeing anything like that before), and an ending that may also remind you of that of "Get Carter", but actually improves upon it. The gorgeous Senta Berger is second-billed, but her role is relatively small. **1/2 out of 4.

The story sets in Marseill in the seventies. Di Fusco (G. Mitchell) engaged as killer by Forestier (G. C. Sbragia) kills Marc Orsini his own rivals in the oncoming general elections. Another of Orsini's brother, Luis, still lives in Thailand. Apparently he has severed every link with his "mafiosa" family. Anyway Di Fusco is sent there all the same to kill him who is Forestier's latest possible rival in elections, but reaching the place, he mistakes Orsini for his wife and kills her. Luis at once spreads his followers all over the country to locate the killer. Di Fusco is caught and forced to reveal the name of the instigator. Luis leaves immediately for Europe intending to harm Forestier by himself even if he doesn't know him. In Marseill he meets Mason, an officer in FBI and moreover an old friend of him, who is just cooperating with the local police about the murder of Orsini. He tries to persuade Luis to leave off because Forestier is tough guy, firmly tied up with politics and police. But Luis doesn't pay attention and tries to find Alvarez (R. Pellegrin), the right-hand man of Forestier. After finding him he orders his Thais adepts to stab him. Not later they are killed in a police shooting. Meanwhile Luis succeeds in finding Forestier and this one threatened with death, says that the murderer is Silvane (S. Berger), the wife of Marc Orsini, that thinks she could have the heritage of her husband. At the end Luis meets the woman and forced her to give herself up to the police but she not to fall into the hands of the law, kills herself. A French detective story directed by Yves Boisse, rich in rhythm and played with a masterly skill by a group of actors mostly of French origin. The only foreign actors are Gordon Mitchell, Senta Berger and G. Carlo Sbragia. Mitchell seems to be there by chance, maybe because the film is an Italian-French co-production, since in that time the actor was living in Italy. The dialogues are played in French language and the only actor speaking English is Mitchell himself, who however has an Italian-American accent, that which the dubbing of the Italian production wanted him to have. Regarding to the dubbing I think that the synchronization is quite weak and the accent of the actors often sham. I suggest to watch the original film which probably, has the direct sound, for those who can understand French of course. At the 14th minute (from the beginning) when a Willis jeep runs, we see on board Luis, Mason and a Chinese guy. Watching thoroughly, we notice that the scene is obtained by a documentary or by a repertory image since the passengers in the car are not those we know and moreover the third passenger isn't a Chinese but a mulatto (man).

Yves Boisset has always been a director with a political obsession.IN the seventies,he hit his stride with such work as "RAS" ,"Dupont-Lajoie- (which will probably remains his best work- and even "le juge Fayard dit le shériff".Afterward,his filmography became more disparate ,but his ambitions surfaced again in "allons enfants" (1981) and in his excellent made-for-TV "le pantalon "(1997)."Le saut de l'ange" ,on the other hand ,has almost nothing to recommend it;for the time is was an extremely violent movie, which actually recalls more Boisset's first effort ,"Coplan sauve sa peau" (1967) than his "serious" political films.A far-fetched script,which includes a lot of sadism(a man with his two legs broken given over to a cobra,ouch!), and all kinds of crimes and brutality under a caricature of a police 's faraway eye.No need to say that the political background is quickly forgotten,as the audience follows Yanne's ruthless revenge.The cast is absurd :the late Yanne, a decorative Senta Berger ,and Sterling Hayden who is completely wasted -he's supposed to be an alcoholic,but we never see him drink anything,not even Perrier -.

Boisset was one of the greatest action directors of the 70's in Europe. In this sadly neglected thriller, he exposes a corrupted & rotten political system in Marseille. The focus is put on Louis Orsini (Jean Yanne), an ex mercenary whose family's been entirely murdered for political reasons. He's out to get the responsibles and he evolves with style...There are several scenes in this movie during which you'll wonder why the hell Boisset is not celebrated the way he should be. All his movies are great, over-the-top action flicks with an edge, in the same vein as Fernando Di Leo flicks or even Umberto Lenzi cop thrillers !Jean Yanne does a great job here as the wooden faced hero, and Senta Berger is always lovely tho she only has a small part. When are we gonna see movies like this come out on DVD and get the respect they widely deserve ?