Wicked Games: Three Films By Robert Hossein (1955-1961) (Blu-ray) (UK Import)

A prison break, femme fatales and a genre-defining western: Robert Hossein (Rififi) was, both behind and in front of the camera, one of French cinema's great unsung stylists. Three of his finest genre exploits are collected here: The Wicked Go to Hell (1955), Nude in a White Car (1959) and The Taste of Violence (1961).

In a hard penitentiary, two prisoners fight off the rumour that one of them denounced a recently executed inmate. With their fellow convicts at their throats they join forces and escape. Along the way, they hole up in a remote beach cabin where they take the angel-faced occupant (Marina Vlady, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her) as their hostage while they figure out their next move. The feature debut of Robert Hossein, The Wicked Go to Hell was adapted from the novel by celebrated crime writer Frédéric Dard (Paris Pick-up), a prison escape film that spins into a fatalistic noir, oozing with atmosphere from its striking compositions and explosions of violence. On an evening stroll, Pierre (Robert Hossein, also director) is invited into a white car by a female voice. Upon getting in he finds a nude blonde with her face obscured by shadow. After sharing an intimate moment Pierre tries to get to know her but she produces a revolver and orders him to leave. Astonished by the events, Pierre determines to find the woman and traces the car to an address where two blonde sisters live (Marina Vlady, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her and Odile Versois, Passport to Shame), one who claims to never go out and another who is paralysed. Following his explosive debut, director Robert Hossein re-teams with celebrated crime writer Frédéric Dard for this sultry mystery evoking Hitchcock and classic noir. In a Latin American country ruled by a dictator, revolutionary leader Perez (Robert Hossein, also director) holds up a train to kidnap the dictator's daughter (Giovanna Ralli, The Mercenary) to trade her for captured revolutionaries. Perez takes her across dangerous terrain with his two lieutenants Chamaco (Mario Adorf, The Italian Connection) and Chico. But the bounty on her head is high and compatriots may be easily tempted to switch sides. Anticipating later Zapata Westerns that focused on revolution like A Bullet for the General and The Wild Bunch, The Taste of Violence is also one of the most visually striking Euro Westerns, bearing resemblance to work by Akira Kurosawa.

Extras:

Booklet, Bonus Footage, Commentary: Tim Lucas (critic / author)., Documentaries: 'Picking Strawberries'; 'Behind Marked Eyes: The Cinematic Stare of Robert Hossein'., Interviews: Marina Vlady (actor); C. Courtney Joyner (author)., Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow; 'The Evolution of the Femme Fatale in Classic French Cinema': Visual essay by Samm Deighan (critic); 'The Taste of Violence': Appreciation by Alex Cox (film-maker / Western authority)., Trailers