Well, of course I'll introduce it to you only if you're not a frenchie cause Fear Over the City or Peur Sur La Ville here is one of those classics you just cannot have "escaped" as I think it must be released at least one time per year since 1980 on french TV (and there were not so many channels in the 80's
).One of the main reasons for this, I think, is that the main actor of the cast is none the less than Jean-Paul Belmondo, is for sure one of the most popular actors here.
In Fear Over the City Jean-Paul Belmondo is the inspector Jean Letellier, former leader of the "Brigade Anti-Gang" (check the topic about 36, Quai des Orfèvres if you need some reminder about what this means
) who has been sacked after having let escape a famous criminal after a car hunting in which an innocent footwalker has been killed from a lost bullet.Now Letellier works as an inspector in criminal investigation, a supposed to be much "pépére" work. Anyway he still uses his muscles and love for action to ensure his work doesn't become borring
An example ? well: when he wants to question a suspect who is not answering to the door, our inspector passes throught a window and climbs along the wall to spy him, no matter how dangerous it is (because of course we are not on the first floor
).At that time Jean-Paul Belmondo was indeed an accomplished stuntman and used to give his public amazing action scenes.
Therefore in Fear Over the City Jean-Paul Belmondo also gets:
- involved on a gunfight taking place on parisian roofs,
- suspended to a Gendarmerie's helicopter over Paris,
- ...
But even if he is clearly the star of this movie (just look at the poster up here), I find that Jean-Paul Belmondo isn't the only responsible of the movie's success.
First, Letellier works in duo with the inspector Moissac played by Charles Denner who, in the great tradition of the cops couples in movies, clearly add something to the atmosphere.
Always serious, especially when the two inspectors play the game of the bad cop and the bad cop in front of a suspect or a potential mole
, his quiet charisma reinforces the cdarkredibility of both of them.I really have the feeling, looking at the film, that Charles Denner and Jean-Paul Belmondo have enjoyed playing together. They seem to have had a real fun which is really communicative.
All the characters are caricature, characters of polar which we've seen tons of times in 70's and 80's movies like Dirty Harry's ones to quote some of the bests imho
Anyway as I enjoyed each time watching Dirty Harry, I've often surprised myself stopping my zapping to watch once more Fear Over the City on TV (which allowed me to recognize a pic from it in PLISSKEN's game at least
) and now I even own the dvd 
Fear Over the City is not a master piece but Henri Verneuil knowns how to direct his movie to make his audience spend a very enjoyable moment.
I give this movie a 4/6 well deserved as regard to its resistance to the time passing by
Chevvie
