Roberto Succo (2001)
Directed by Cédric Kahn

Film Review

Based on a novel by Pascale Froment, this film recounts the true-story of the notorious serial killer Roberto Succo who terrorised France in the 1980s, committing a series of brutal rapes and killings which made him public enemy number one.   Unusually, the film presents the story from an almost totally neutral perspective, so that Succo is portrayed neither as a villain or a victim - it is left entirely to the audience to draw their own conclusions.

This amoral approach, whilst worthy from an artistic perspective, has made the film hugely controversial.  In France, it was widely condemned, particularly by the police who were concerned that the film may accentuate the disturbing upward trend in the number of police killings.  One suspects that the furore would not have been nearly so great if (a) most of Succo's victims had not been policemen and (b) the film did not tell its story with such force and originality.  The controversy arose with such vigour mainly because this is a noteworthy work of cinema, which would resurrect a story the French police would be happy to forget.

Whilst the film is not entirely faultless (the narrative flow is often uneven and the latter half of the film noticeably less interesting than the first), it is overall an impressive effort, displaying great maturity in its young director, Cédric Kahn, who previously won acclaim for his 1998 film L'Ennui.   By combining contemporary film noir elements, dramatic action scenes and realistic dialogue, Kahn comes very close to re-inventing the crime-thriller genre.  In Roberto Succo, he manages to create a world of disturbing vulnerability and inescapable terror, sometimes with an intensity that borders on insanity.

Robert Succo is a violent film, but not in the conventional sense of the word.  It religiously avoids glamorising violence, and it is often the psychological violence (the fear and anguish) rather than actual bloodshed that has the biggest impression on the audience.  Each violent scene in the film is shown from two perspectives - from that of a terrified victim, and from that of Succo himself, a deranged outsider totally incapable of controlling his violent outbursts.   The film's impact lies in the fact that the spectator is conditioned to remain ambivalent towards the perpetrator of these horrific acts of violence, even when he or she sees the terrible consequences.

What makes Roberto Succo such a powerful and shocking film is the performance from its lead actor, Stefano Cassetti, who is perfectly cast in the role of the Italian killer.  Not only does he look the part, with his swarthy feral features and chillingly cold blue eyes, but his performance shows an almost inhuman energy and spontaneity.  Amazingly this is Cassetti's first film appearance, yet it is inconceivable that his portrayal of Succo could have been bettered.

Film Synopsis

Whilst on holiday in the South of France, a sixteen year old girl, Léa, is enchanted by a strange young man, Kurt, who says little about his past and who speaks with an Italian accent.  Later, once Léa has returned to her home in Savoie, Kurt visits her at the weekends, but Léa becomes increasingly uneasy about her strange boyfriend.  What does he really do during the week?  Why is he reluctant to talk about his past.  And why is he walking around with a gun in his pocket?  Meanwhile, the French police are having more luck at unravelling Kurt's secret life.   A series of armed assaults, car hi-jackings and abductions lead them inexorably towards the cunning but totally unhinged killer…