Les valseuses (1974)

Director:

Bertrand Blier

Writers:

Bertrand Blier (novel)
Bertrand Blier (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 May 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Plot:

Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Window Smashing | Burglary | Citroen | Stealing

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Jean-Claude
Patrick Dewaere	...	Pierrot
Miou-Miou	...	Marie-Ange
Jeanne Moreau	...	Jeanne Pirolle
Brigitte Fossey	...	Woman in the train
Christian Alers	...	Jacqueline's father Henri
Michel Peyrelon	...	The Doctor
Gérard Boucaron	...	Carnot
Jacques Chailleux	...	Jacques Pirolle
Eva Damien	...	Doctor's wife
Dominique Davray	...	Ursula
Isabelle Huppert	...	Jacqueline
Marco Perrin	...	Supermarket inspector
Jacques Rispal	...	Maton
Claude Vergues	...	Merian
Bruno Boëglin
Sylvie Joly
Gérard Jugnot	...	Holyday-Maker with Family
Marie Kéruzoré
Thierry Lhermitte	...	Doorman
Rita Maiden
Christiane Muller	...	Jacqueline's mother
Michel Pilorgé	...	Man on the motorscooter
Jean Sylvère
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claude Piéplu	...	Récitant de la bande-annonce (uncredited)
Gilles Ségal	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Bertrand Blier

Writing credits
Bertrand Blier		(novel)
Bertrand Blier		(writer) &
Philippe Dumarçay		(writer)

Produced by
Paul Claudon	....	producer

Original Music by
Stéphane Grappelli		(as Stephane Grapelli)

Cinematography by
Bruno Nuytten		(as Bruno Nuyten)

Film Editing by
Kenout Peltier		(as Kénout Peltier)

Production Design by
Jean-Jacques Caziot
Françoise Hardy

Costume Design by
Michèle Cerf

Makeup Department
Simone Knapp	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gérard Crosnier	....	production manager
Ginette Mejinsky	....	assistant unit manager
Philippe Mulon	....	assistant unit manager
Francis Peltier	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Denis Berembaum	....	second assistant director (as Jean-Denis Berenbaum)
Gérard Zingg	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Raymond Lemoigne	....	property master

Sound Department
Paul Bertault	....	sound mixer
Dominique Dalmasso	....	sound
Jacques Lévy	....	sound re-recordist (as Jacques Levy)
Gilles Ortion	....	boom operator
Robert Pouret	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Noël Ferragut	....	assistant camera
Jean-Claude Gasché	....	gaffer
Jean Gimelo	....	key grip
Joël Quentin	....	assistant camera
Stéphane Zureck	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ginette Manzon	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Aurore Camp	....	assistant editor
Jean-Max Morise	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Philippe Catherine	....	musician: guitar
Marc Hemmeler	....	musician: piano
Daniel Humair	....	musician: drums
Guy Pederson	....	musician: bass (as Guy Pedersen)
Maurice Vander	....	musician: piano, organ and harpsichord
William Flageollet	....	music engineer/mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
André Bézu	....	press attache
Daniel Desforges	....	production administrator
Hélène Desse	....	production secretary
Gérard James	....	location manager
Danielle Rousseau	....	production secretary
Stap	....	title designer
Hélène Viard	....	script girl
Christian Ferry	....	development (uncredited)

Production Companies

• C.A.P.A.C.
• S.N. Prodis
• Universal Pictures France (UPF)

Distributors

• AMLF (France)
• Cinema 5 Distributing (USA) (subtitled)
• Connoisseur (UK)
• Homescreen (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Mercurio Films S.A. (Spain)
• NTV-PROFIT
• S.N. Prodis (France)

Other Companies

• Auditorium S.I.M.O.  auditorium
• Municipalité de Valence  thanks for amiable collaboration
• Éditions Fantasia Musidisc Europe  music editorial
• Éditions Robert Laffont  novel publisher

Also Known As:

Getting It Up
Going Places (USA)
Making It
Corações Loucos (Brazil) [pt]
Die Ausgebufften (West Germany) [de]
Flörtkulorna (Sweden) [sv]
I santissimi (Italy) [it]
Les Valseuses - Wir sind die Größten (West Germany) [de]
Los rompepelotas (Spain) [es]
O horos ton dieftharmenon (Greece) [el]
Riipukset (Finland) [fi]
Tojastanc (Hungary) [hu]
Uma Mulher para Dois (Portugal) [pt]

Runtime:

France:150 min (restored: 1999) | Germany:111 min | USA:117 min | West Germany:116 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-18 (original rating) | France:U (re-rating) | France:-12 (TV rating) | UK:R (1974) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Norway:(Banned) (1974-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Valence, Drôme, France

Company:

C.A.P.A.C.

Trivia:

The original French title is slang for "balls" (the testicular variety).

Goofs:

Continuity: Marie-Ange is shot in the shins when the boys leave her at the barbers shop, but there is no trace of any injury when they rejoin her (although there is no exact indication of the time past, it does not appear long enough for an injury of that kind to heal completely).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nos 18 ans (2008)

LES VALSEUSES (DIDIER BECU)

Bertrand Blier is indeed l'enfant terrible of French cinema and in the seventies he always could shock the public. Filmed with his fave duo (Depardieu and Dewaere) and the usual dose of sex (Miou-Miou plays her typical role, at least the one from the seventies as little could we know that a decade later she would be the best French actress ever). In first "Les Valseuses" is also one of the first roadmovies as the viewer is just taken to some journeys of two little criminals. Those who only are satisfied with family life, or simply know nothing more, the movie would be quite a shocker but this movie is more than just that, it just let you think of all the usual things in life (working for the car, being bounded at work etc.). It's a sort of critic towards the hypocrite society we're living in. Great job and it just makes you wish two things : Dewaere died just too young as he was a topactor and of course Depardieu, he'd better should have stuck with French movies as he proves here that no one can beat him. Timeless classic and 20 years later it will still shock some...