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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. L'affaire Blaireau remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for dusty, black-and-white comedies where everyone yells just a little too much, then yes. This is for you. If you need pacing that feels modern or a plot that doesn't just circle the drain, you’ll probably want to turn it off after twenty minutes.
It’s not trying to be Duck Soup, even if it tries to tap into that same vein of pure, unadulterated chaos. The whole thing hinges on whether you find a grumpy, ungrateful poacher funny or just plain annoying. I landed on funny, but it was a close call.
The movie is basically a long, slow-motion car crash of a PR stunt. We have this lawyer, right? He’s so hungry for a win that he turns a guy who just wants to catch rabbits into a philosophical martyr. It’s such a dumb, human mistake to make.
The moment Blaireau gets out of the slammer and immediately goes back to doing whatever he wants, you can see the lawyer’s soul just wither away. That’s the best part of the movie, honestly. Watching that fragile, pretentious ego crumble because the "hero" refuses to play along.
There’s a scene about halfway through where they’re in this village square, and the crowd just looks… bored. I don't know if they were actually bored, or if that was the direction, but it gives the whole thing this weirdly authentic vibe. Like, even the background actors were just waiting for their lunch break.
Also, the way Blaireau holds his hat. He looks like he’s terrified it’s going to float away if he lets go for even a second. Is that character choice? Or did the actor just really like that hat? 🎩
Some of the dialogue is so fast it feels like it’s being shouted through a megaphone. You catch about sixty percent of the jokes, and the other forty are just lost in the static of the era. It’s imperfect, but it kind of adds to the charm.
It doesn't really land so much as it just stops. Which is fine. It doesn't need a grand finale or a lesson about the human condition. It’s just a snapshot of a guy who really, really hates being told what to do.
If you’ve seen The Impostor, you know that dynamic of people being who they aren't. But here, Blaireau is actually being exactly who he is, and that’s the problem for everyone else. It’s a nice little subversion if you think about it for more than five seconds.
Anyway, don't expect a masterpiece. Just expect a grumpy guy in a hat making life miserable for people who deserve it. That’s enough for a Tuesday night, right? 🍷
IMDb 6.4
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