Le Juge Fayard dit Le Shériff (1977)
Directed by Yves Boisset

Film Review

Having ruffled a few establishment feathers with L'Attentat (1972) and R.A.S. (1973), films that dared to lift the lid on two no-go areas for filmmakers (respectively the Ben Barka affair and the Algerian War), director Yves Boisset courted further controversy with Le Juge Fayard dit Le Shériff, a film that was inspired by the murder of a young French lawyer named François Renaud in July 1975. The caption at the end of the film denying any connection with real events and real individuals was clearly intended in an ironic vein.  By the late 1970s, Boisset's cynicism about politicians and other authority figures (including the police and the judiciary) was shared by the majority of the French people, and vindicated by several high-profile cases involving complicity in the fraudulent activities of big business.  It was out of this climate of cynicism and public outrage that a new genre of thriller was born, the neo-polar, and Le Juge Fayard dit Le Shériff is arguably one of the best examples in this popular genre.

These days, Yves Boisset is generally less well-regarded than is justified, perhaps owing to his decision to concentrate on filmmaking for television in the later years of his career. Often written off as a second-rate Costa-Gavras or a less successful Jean-Pierre Mocky, Boisset proved that he was more versatile than either of these directors and could be just as provocative if the mood took him.   Le Juge Fayard dit Le Shériff is easily one of his most accomplished films, and a worthy recipient of the 1976 Louis-Delluc Prize, a prestigious award that rarely gets given to genre films such as this.  A polished thriller with several impressively staged action scenes, the film was one of Boisset's biggest commercial successes, attracting an audience of 1.8 million in France.

As you would expect for a quality policier of this era, the film has an exceptional cast, which is headed by rising star Patrick Dewaere, supremely well-cast as the incorruptible but impetuous young lawyer who naively thinks he can stir up a hornets nest without getting stung.  Aurore Clément has one of her first major roles since her impressive debut in Louis Malle's Lacombe Lucien (1974), and Philippe Léotard is well-served by the kind of nonchalant tough guy role for which he become best known in the following decade.   Jean Bouise is equally well cast as the senior judge who clearly has a vested interest in letting sleeping dogs lie; his quiet aura of authority and slightly sinister presence make him a perfect accessory for the neo-polar genre.

Le Juge Fayard dit Le Shériff is evocative both of the classical American film noir thriller and the classic western, with the central character (Dewaere) playing the role both of a lone defender of the law in a lawless society and a doomed noir hero up against an unseen adversary we know he can never defeat.  The film's intensely pessimistic tone and hard edge (illustrated by a pretty horrific denouement) sets it apart from most French thrillers of this time.  The ease with which Fayard's superiors are able to deflect him, clearly showing they have something to hide whilst doing so, is chilling and the bitterest commentary on the reality of the period.  The film leaves us as Boisset intended it should, deeply sceptical about the integrity of those who work their way into positions of authority.  In Boisset's dark world of cover-up and collusion, corruption at the top is shown to be endemic and inescapable.  And judging by what we have seen in real life since the film was made, it seems not to be so far from the truth.

Film Synopsis

Jean-Marie Fayard is an incorruptible young judge who appears determined to live up to his nickname 'Le Shériff'.  His present investigation into a series of deaths linked to a prominent businessman brings him into conflict with his superiors, who are keen to see him redirect his efforts towards less problematic cases.  Judge Fayard now finds himself on the tail of an escaped convict named 'Le Docteur' who runs a gang that recently murdered a police superintendent, Marcheron.  It seems that before he was killed, the latter was on the point of exposing the criminal activities of someone in a position of authority.

Fayard's suspicions of a cover-up are confirmed when he and his girlfriend Michèle are threatened by someone with powerful connections.  The only people that he can count on to help him in his investigations are Inspector Marec and another judge named Steiner.  When the gang Fayard is pursuing commit a hold-up they leave behind a wounded man who discloses to the judge the identity of the gang's real leader - Monsieur Paul.  This key witness is killed before he can reveal anything further.  As Fayard gets closer to the truth, he comes under increasing pressure from his superiors and criminal adversaries to drop the investigation, but he persists.  Even if he is killed, he has by now amassed enough evidence to ensure that those who are responsible will be brought to justice...