A Review of the Film 36

The French Film Starring Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu

Dec 18, 2008

36 Quai des Orfevres (Department 36) was a stunning 2004 French film from director Olivier Marchal. It's currently being re-made by Martin Campbell of Casino Royale fame.

36 is a taut, gripping drama that strips back layers of edifice governing rank and respectability within the police force. The French title 36 Quai des Orfevres refers to a famous police station in Paris. The English language (non-literal) translation of the title is simply Department 36, which doesn't have quite the same connotations of history and place.

Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu Excel in 36

The film is a terrific thriller, similar in feel to Infernal Affairs or Heat. The relationship between the two main characters, Leo Vrinks and Denis Klein, certainly has the intensity of those two films. 36 also casts two of France's most accomplished actors in the lead roles, Daniel Auteuil (as Vrinks) and Gerard Depardieu (as Klein). Both actors are given the opportunity to really go to work on their characters in 36. The animosity that festers between them is palpable, and grows exponentially as circumstances spiral out of control.

Director Olivier Marchal Draws on his Own Experience

Writer/director Olivier Marchal was a former policeman himself. His subsequent career in film and television has always drawn strongly on his experience in the field, with 36 itself based on actual events that took place during the 1980s. The story involves rival departments, headed up by Klein and Vrinks, who are both out to capture a gang of brutal robbers terrorizing Paris. The carrot of promotion to chief of police dangles before both men, but one of them wants it more and is prepared to go to great lengths to reach his goal.

36 – A Game of Deadly Rivalry

36 is alive with ambiguities, examining the different levels of corruption that exist within the force, and, at a higher level, the studied ignorance of inconvenient truths. The cops, who are outwardly both fighting for justice, are forced to confront harsh realities to achieve their goals. Even Vrinks, whose acute sense of morals is evident in every scene, is pushed into a dangerous dance with the underbelly of Parisian society. He contends with protecting both prostitutes and police informants as part of his job, which is why he keeps his work well hidden from his wife, Camille (Valeria Golino). Unfortunately, Camille's previous relationship with rival officer Klein can't help but come back to haunt her, and she is, inevitably, drawn into the deadly game of rivalry between them. Klein, for his part, displays a certain air of ambivalence. He is not as well liked as Vrinks by the ranks, but the two men themselves share a respectful, though tension-filled, relationship. Klein is determined not to be sidelined by the more popular choice for promotion, and has one or two tricks up his sleeve to get himself noticed.

Martin Campbell's 36 Film with Robert De Niro and George Clooney

The risks taken by Vrinks and Klein, in order to try and capture the gang, occupy the body of the film. It's their dalliance with the dark side, when they are both supposed to be good and righteous cops, that galvanizes 36. The drama that unravels between the two men is so thrilling, it's little wonder the film is now being re-made. Owing to the lack of a distribution deal, 36 Quai des Orfevres has been rarely seen in the US, which is a great shame. Casino Royale director Martin Campbell is sure to garner a bigger audience with his re-make, rumoured to be starring Robert De Niro and George Clooney. A face-off between those two is definitely something to look forward to, and hopefully will do justice to a tremendously powerful film.

The copyright of the article A Review of the Film 36 in European Films is owned by Michelle Strozykowski. Permission to republish A Review of the Film 36 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.