Tchao Pantin, translated into English as So Long, Stooge, is a 1983 neo-noir/revenge thriller from director Claude Berri, known best for the beloved 1986 duology of Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring. Contrasting those two major successes, So Long, Stooge is an icy and grim film about a pleasant friendship turned disastrous.
Coluche leads the film as Lambert, a lonely alcoholic garage worker whose tedious life is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Richard Anconina's young thief character Youssef. Giving starkly different performances, the two contrast one another immensely but are drawn together regardless. Anconina's performance is anxious, energetic and charismatic while Coluche is largely stoic and cold.
Gradually, a father-son bond develops between them. But this is no joyous, heartfelt drama about a grumpy middle aged man and a troubled teen finding themselves and helping one another heal. Things go wrong, very wrong, and Lambert finds himself determined to make things right once more.
Claude Berri's film is surprisingly underrated and overlooked given its accessibility as a story and as a piece of filmmaking. It is clear and to the point, completely unpretentious in its representation of revenge as redemption for a broken man. While the story and, to an extent, the characters add little that feels particularly new to cinema, Berri's direction ensures that So Long, Stooge is enticing and cool from the opening shot.
That opening shot, which immediately grips the viewer, introduces the cold world of the film. The first thing seen is a glaring red light, almost serving as a warning to stop now and save yourself from what is to come, perched above a rainy, desolate Paris street at night. The film's cinematography by great French cinematographer Bruno Nyutten is by far its finest attribute most of the time. Nyutten's work is expressive and energetic, colourful and vivacious, full of movement and colour. It gradually cools off as the film continues, too, transitioning into more static shots full of powerful images of violence. Radiance's restoration is absolutely fantastic, restoring the film lovingly to such a point that it looks as though it could have released last week, not last century.
On top of its beautiful visual style, the film also has a moody, smoky score that incorporates elements of jazz and rock. Raina Rai's music is just as expressive as Nyutten's work behind the camera, following the moods of the characters closely and emphasising that emotion.
Full of surprising narrative shifts, brutal and clinical action and capped off by a fantastic ending, it is a shame that much of the work with Lambert as a character feels so unoriginal. Granted, neo-noir is supposed to be an update on or a challenge to pre-existing ideas within cinema, but So Long, Stooge's character work suffers because of its lacking originality. Youssef is a more interesting character, certainly, but is explored less and the same can be said for Agnes Soral's Lola. The originality is found in the execution of the action, which is blunt and to the point in a way that few films match, but the character work is poor.
That being said, So Long, Stooge is still an exciting film. Its story is interesting, its character dynamics make up for some of their poor writing and the visuals are top-tier. Elements of it could be improved upon, but there's plenty of good that ensures the film is worth the time.
Special Features
- 4K restoration by Pathé approved by cinematographer Bruno Nuytten
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Once Upon a Time… Tchao Pantin – A documentary on the film featuring interviews with writer-director Claude Berri, novelist Alain Page, stars Richard Anconina, Mahmoud Zemmouri, Agnés Soral, cinematographer Bruno Nyutten and others (2003, 55 mins)
- More to be confirmed
- Trailer
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Manuela Lazic
- Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Tchao Pantin will be released by Radiance Films on 29th July 2024
