Les rivières pourpres
Tags: mystery, suspenseful, action, murder, sadist

Plot synopsis:
Detective Superintendent (Commissaire Principal) Pierre Niemans (Jean Reno), an investigator well known in Paris, is sent to the small rural university town of Guernon in the French Alps to investigate a brutal murder. The victim's body is found bound in the fetal position and suspended high on a cliff face, his eyes removed and his hands cut off. Niemans learns that the victim was a professor and the University's librarian, Remy Callois, and he seeks out a local ophthalmologist for an explanation to the removal of the eyes. Dr. Cherneze, once on the University staff, explains that the school's isolation led to in-breeding amongst the professors, with increasingly serious genetic disorders. Recently the trend has reversed, with the local village children becoming ill and the college babies remaining healthy. Cherneze hints that the killer is leaving Niemans clues to their motive by removing the body parts that are unique to each individual - the eyes and hands. Niemans questions the Dean and examines the librarian's apartment, where he finds images of athletic "supermen" juxtaposed with texts on genetic deformities. The Dean's assistant (and son) Hubert translates the title of Callois' Ph.D. thesis as, "We are the masters. We are the slaves. We are everywhere. We are nowhere. We control the crimson rivers."
Coincidentally Detective Inspector (Lieutenant de Police)  Max Kerkerian (Vincent Cassel) is in the nearby town of Sarzac investigating the desecration of the grave of Judith Herault, a girl who died in 1982, and the theft of her photos from the local primary school. The girl was killed in a horrific highway accident, witnessed by her mother, who was so traumatized she took a vow of darkness in a nunnery. The mother tells Kerkerian that when Judith was ten she fell ill, and they went to get help in Guernon where she was born; she claims they were then attacked by "demons" and, when they fled, her daughter was killed in the road accident. She says the pictures were stolen to erase her daughter from history, and that her face is a threat to the demons who have returned to complete their mission. She tells him it all began in Guernon.
Niemans questions Fanny Ferreira (Nadia Farès), a glaciologist and student, who is immediately suspect because of her climbing ability. Despite her contempt for the school and its arrogant professors, she works for the university to steer away frequent avalanches, and is incensed when Niemans implies she might withhold evidence to protect the school. She tells him that anyone with good equipment could've hoisted the body up the cliff, and brushes off his obvious attraction. Soon after, the pathologist reports that it was acid rain in Callois' eye sockets, which has not fallen in the area since the seventies. Niemans enlists Fanny to take him up the glacier to get ice samples to compare with the acid rain in Callois' eyes. On a hunch, Niemans follows a glacial melt tunnel to a cave that contains a second body, frozen into the ice.
Kerkerian traces a car from the accident to Phillip Sertys in Guernon and meets Niemans while attempting to break into Sertys' apartment. Sertys is the body in the ice, a doctor that worked in the maternity ward at the University hospital. They find Judith's stolen photograph as well as evidence that Sertys was breeding and training fighting dogs - and then they find the dogs, and Niemans the "supercop" is momentarily paralyzed by fear, until Kerkerian coaxes him through.
Sertys was also mutilated, and his eyes replaced with glass prosthetics, "Like you would find at an eye doctor's" remarks the pathologist, leading Niemans to race back to Cherneze's practice. The doctor is already dead, and they almost catch the killer, who fights off Niemans and races away after deliberately emptying Niemans' gun into the wall but not hitting him. Kerkerian gives chase but the killer escapes. Returning to the scene, where the killer has written "I will trace the source of the crimson rivers" in Cherneze's own blood above his body, they learn the prints on Niemans' gun belong to Judith Herault.
Kerkerian goes back to search the grave in Sarzac, which is empty except for a picture, while Niemans goes to Fanny's home. Niemans tells her that although he sees her as physically capable of committing the crimes he doesn't believe her to be guilty. When he returns to the university, the local police captain tells him that Callois' thesis is full of Nazi-style eugenics, suggesting perfection can be achieved by breeding athletically gifted and intellectually gifted children together.
Kerkerian returns with the photo which Niemans recognizes as Fanny and, on the way to her house, they narrowly avoid being run off the road by the Dean's son as they piece together the story. Due to the poor bloodlines and genetic mutations in the faculty's inbred offspring, the doctors at the hospital had been swapping healthy village children with the university children. Sertys, they deduce, must have swapped Fanny for Judith, and Callois arranged the matches in the college's breeding program. Once at Fanny's house they find the missing hands and eyes of the victims in her basement, but Fanny is now gone and so are her grenades. Niemans gives the order to evacuate the university while he and Kerkerian travel up the mountain to find Fanny.
The duo confront Fanny only to be set upon by Judith, who is her identical twin. Judith tells Fanny to kill Niemans, but she refuses, and instead turns the gun on her sister. At the same time Kerkerian fires at Judith, but hits Fanny in the shoulder and the gunshots trigger an avalanche. Judith is swept away and the rest are buried in the snow until a rescue team arrives with search dogs. Fanny is airlifted to hospital while Kerkerian asks Niemans to explain his fear of dogs.

Review: This is especially true for the leading roles which are portrayed by two of the most talented French actors: Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel.The plot is based on a novel by Jean-Christophe Grange who, together with director Mathieu Kassovitz, also developed the screenplay.
Unfortunately, many of the novel's explanatory scenes were omitted, so that ,you end up with a film which is not boring but quite confusing', as main actor Vincent Cassel puts it correctly.
The following is a basic plot summary that intends to spoil as little of the story as possible:Commissaire Pierre Niemans is called to the remote university town of Guernon to solve a gruesome murder case in which the victim - the university's librarian - was brutally tortured and mutilated.
This knowledge eventually gets them into life-threatening situations, the most deadly of them marking the end of the movie, which is set on top of a huge, snow-covered glacier.The acting is simply excellent: Jean Reno portrays Niemans as a surly, reserved but brilliant professional with an attitude that often offends the people around him, even if he does not mean to.
The conspiracy revealed by the cops is larger and was also one of the aspects which were simplified for the movie.All in all, one could complain that some of the action scenes look rather out of place, like Kerkerian's fight with two skinheads or the obligatory car chase later on in the film.
Mathieu Kassovitz's film featuring the incomparable Jean Reno (The Professional) and Vincent Cassel (Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen) is a thrill ride that never stops.The French countryside with the spooky houses is a feast for the eyes.
Jean reno is good as usual but vincent cassel dishes out excellent acting nuances which add to his character.
Chief Inspector Niemans (Jean Reno) is called from Paris to investigate an horrific murder involving torture of the University's research librarian(close your eyes if mutilated bodies offend you)...At the same time a local police officer is looking into the desecration of a grave in the local cemetery.
But then the shadows are greatly enhanced and who knows what may jump out at them!The police get very little help from the suspicious-looking University staff, a fact which surprises me considering their lives are possibly in danger.For me the final scene when all is revealed is quite a let-down after a reasonably interesting investigation.
"The Crimson Rivers" tells of two French detectives on converging investigative paths leading to the "who" in whodunit as they leapfrog from one tense moment to the next in this good but not great macabre and sometimes gruesome serial killer mystery.
The novel by Jean-Cristophe Grangè on which this film is based is simply one of the best thrillers ever written,in the same league as The Silence of the Lambs and Misery,and with the help of writer/director Mathieu Kassovitz(who was also supposed to be one of the actors)the author has successfully brought his masterpiece to the screen.From the very beginning,thanks to the location and Bruno Coulais'unsettling score,we realize French people can make good horror thrillers: Pierre Niemans(Jean Reno) is in Grenoble to solve a couple of weird and brutal murders,while Max Kerkerian(Vincent Cassel)investigates a damaged tomb somewhere else.
Soon they discover the two cases are connected,and the two men have to run against the clock in order to uncover the awful truth about what's been going on in the local university for years.The book has been simplified(the first chapter is entirely missing,as well as some of the details about Cassel's case),but the movie manages to be very interesting,and the chemistry between Reno and Cassel is great.Special praise for Dominique Sanda,her creepy cameo being the film's best sequence(Sissy Spacek appears in a similar scene in The Ring 2).Only defect:why did they make the sequel?.
They join forces and find a plot of eugenics in the University, with abductions, murders and revenge.Yesterday I saw this great movie again, trying to find some answers to questions I raised the first time I saw it four years ago.
It had two great lead actors: Jean Reno at his best (Watch his face, as he looks at the first corpse!), and a great Vincent Cassel, whom I didn't know before.
And the violence is not "celebrated", which means it's not shown, as if it were any kind of fun or something the viewer also should do.Once again: Watch Niémans' face, while he looks at the first corpse; this scene shows clearly what he thinks of the torture and the killing and that it's absolutely barbaric and immoral to do a thing like that.
It appeared to be a feeble attempt at making it seem like an action movie.I know that the french can do better than that, considering "high tension", and "frontiers" to name a few..
So far so good until, out of the blue, the writers feel the need to make Cassel go Chuck Norris on some wannabe Nazis's in a fight scene so absurdly bad, including 1980's sound effects, it makes you question what kind of movie you're actually watching.
After the interesting fight the movie goes for two awards in the weird category with an even so interesting foot-chase ending up in the middle of anti-climax land leading right to a totally uncalled for Mexican stand- off between Jean "The Unit" Reno and his local constabularies.
Once the two are brought together, the audience has a fairly good idea of what is going on, and the film becomes more an action movie than a suspense.
Reno's attraction for Nadia Fares' character, Fanny, is, however, too contrived, giving one the sense that the director suddenly realizes the film must end soon, and is bringing the story to a close with scant regard for the abrupt change of pace.
In many ways it uses the same old cliches (mismatched cops who must work together, bizarre methods of death) we've seen dozens of times in Hollywood thrillers, but it manages to remain entertaining because of Kassovitz' energetic and inventive direction, the spectacular backgrounds of the Alps, and the contrasting acting styles of Cassel and Jean Reno, who really seem to enjoy working together.
To start with I'm a big fan of French movies, a lot less pretentious than Hollywood is in the main.They seem to me to be more English than the likes of Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.This film brings together two strong actors (Jean Reno, Le Jaguar and Leon and Vincent Cassel, Brotherhood of the Wolf)in a decent plot.
But the scenery, the characterizations, and most especially the "chemistry" (a rarity when talking of two male leads) between Jean Reno and another french actor who I am quickly coming to appreciate for his work in The Brotherhood of the wolf and Read my lips, and also for being married to one of the most gorgeous women in the world Monica Bellucci, the incomparable Vincent Cassell.
One wonders why this picture was made at all : the plot as such is totally unbelievable if not ridiculous, the characters (experienced loner cop versus younger one, quite fascinated) quite predictable, the ending totally murky and impossible to understand (maybe after several viewings but you'd have to have a masochistic tendency for that ; the idea being you have to read the book to understand fully what it's all about)and the acting is bad.
There are two essential differences: (1) it looks better, and (2) the French policemen have far more charm than their American counterparts typically do, which is a good thing, since these policemen must abuse their power in a similar kind of way (often with little justification beyond the fact that it's in the script), yet convincingly come across as ENEMIES of fascism.
It is also important that the film and its various strands of character, theme and narrative all eventually lead to the same place, confounding but also confirming what the viewer had expected all along.The Crimson Rivers (2000) by La Haine (1995) director Mathieu Kassovitz sticks to this method fairly closely for the most part; giving us the usual archetypes familiar from this kind of heavily investigatory detective fiction alongside the usual contemporary preoccupations with dark, gloomy, atmospheric visuals and intriguing, idiosyncratic characters.
So essentially we're dealing with the typical buddy-cop clichés, though with more believability and less reliance on comic relief, with any real attempt at humour usually undercut by the explicitness of the violence and that fantastic air of dark, disturbing dread.The central performances from Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel are both very good, with Reno portraying the older, wiser, more intuitive detective paired off with Cassel's headstrong loose cannon.
As a result, the ending seems like an anachronism within the film's post-modern framework; offering us all the answers presented at once in a manner that seems incredibly lazy and unfair given the great sense of mystery that was previously unfolding.In this respect, I would draw comparisons to two of the most recent films by Italian horror/thriller director Dario Argento, in particular Sleepless (2000) and The Card Player (2004).
Both of these films feature a great first half rife with mystery and suspense, but loose it in the final act with a complete disregard for logic, character or the thrill of expectation.
This film left me a sense of empty,the impression is of a big occasion waste.In fact the first half of the picture is really brilliant and thrilling ,the story seems very well thought and the places where the plot is developed are suggestive..but after 1 hour of watching ,the picture starts being a little boring and the good ideas shown during the first half aren't well developed,so the final ,really too easy,can delude the audience!,the plot has too many holes and the talent of the actors (Reno and Cassel ,really very good) isn't enough to save the movie from being banal.With an initial plot like this Hitchcock or Polanski would have realized a masterpiece..
it almost feels like two separate movies until our heroes Pierre Niemans (Jean Reno / Léon) & Max Kerkerian (Vincent Cassel / Brotherhood of the Wolf) meet.I was too surprised find out that this movie was not done in English.
Of all the Jean Reno films I've seen thus far, I'd have to say this is my third favorite (just behind "Ronin", but WAY behind the outright superb "Leon") My Grade: B USA DVD Extras: Commentary by Director, Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean Reno & Vincent Cassel; Making of documentary; 'Making of a corpse' featurette; The Chase storyboard comparisons; The Avalanche multi-angle; filmographies; and Theatrical Trailer (if you have a region-free DVD player buy the 2 disk UK set instead, as it has better extras).
Jean Reno, who is getting more and more into "pop-corn" stuff these days, has been pretty OK this time.Don't expect too much of a "french touch", Matthieu Kassowitz really filmed it according to the most academic hollywood standards...which makes it puzzling in many ways, especially for european viewers.The problem is with the plot, which is lacking credibility for me: an elite college in the middle of nowhere, in a public-education country?
It may be OK on the paper with all the convincing descriptions, but this superficial 120-minutes movie doesn't go deep enough to draw your attention without any doubt...As a matter of fact, the director Kassowitz (by the way so good in acting, like in "Amelie"...), seems to take pleasure in not detailing the script to the audiences...you have to understand by yourself.
It's not because it's obscure that it is necessary well-written!!To finish with, the end is not convincing, botched up...Overall, an average entertaining thriller, with hollywood-filming technics in french locations, better viewed with home video for the photography.
"The Crimson Rivers" is a Mystery - Crime movie in which we watch a very famous murder detective following the footsteps of a serial killer.
Regarding the direction of this movie which was made by Mathieu Kassovitz I believe that it was very interesting and I liked the way he presented the murders and also the ending.Finally, I have to say that "The Crimson Rivers" is a very interesting movie with a great plot that will surprise you.
What disillusioned me a little was the ending, which falls into an absurd cliché.The script is based on an apparent coincidence: two police officers investigating isolated cases end up realizing that they will have to collaborate to solve a case that ultimately unites them: a wave of macabre and mysterious murders, all around an ancient and prestigious university, isolated in the middle of the French Alps.Much of the quality of the film comes from the excellent performance of Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel, two of the most international and prestigious French actors today.
It is based entirely on the weight of the two main actors, on the ability of both to interpret well, and on the story told.As I mentioned initially, the film is perfect until very near the end, when it tries to surprise us with a turnaround that, for me, made no sense and prejudiced the plot.
There's a serial killer loose in a small mountain town located in rural France, and who better to track them down than the country's two most prolific film actors (or the ones with better physiques than Gerard Depardieu anyway), Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel.
This is well worth watching for people who enjoy a good thriller, can stand a little gruesomeness but are not interested in pointless slasher movies or self-congratulatory plodding "mysteries".
Through out all the plot twists, intrigue, and interesting character development; the ending, one of the most important parts of any film, completely disappointed me.
This is quite a troubling amazing movie and the acting of the cast is very good especially Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel.
The actors and cinematography were great, but decisions made by the director and other crew weakened the film.There is a twist ending, but the filmmakers don't bother to explain the complicated plot.
Just like Donnie Darko, you will have to get the DVD for the extra features to make proper sense of the movie.Even one of the main actors Vincent Cassel said (English translation), "I can't help explain the film because I didn't understand it!"  The film editor said, "When I have to edit that [mess], I'm going to be terrified!"Pre-production was started without even a finished script.
Amazing film, beyond any doubt, Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel give superb performance, the plot is fantastic.
The fourth and last good thing is the wonderful cinematography of matthieu Kassovitz (if you are curious of french cinema, Kassovitz, director of this movie, is the actor who plays nino quincampoix in Jeunet's "amélie poulain").
This dark and disturbing film-noir from France is a very good crime movie with likeable leads (Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel), who both put in great performances.
This movie is no worse it is a great thriller with some great actors like Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel.
They deliver their roles great and I especially liked that there were a parallel story between those two,and that it connected in the end of the movie.
Okey Hollywood,here`s a French one.This is better than your average Hollywood picture who looks like this.Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel stars as two investigators who`s after an crazy serial killer.The murders leads them deeper back in time than they could ever imagine.
Every single shot is very well crafted and supports the dark side of the plot, enhancing the great performances by Jean reno and Vincent Cassel and making this movie haunt you well after you left the theater.
I'll admit the plot is quite bizarre but it is not incomprehensible and the ending was weak but I thought it had a good twist (there have been lots of big budget Hollywood movies with much poorer scripts).
And to finish i just want to stress on the very good acting,and the good casting,although i don't watch many French films,i would never have gone to see this if i had a choice but i will be eternally grateful to my teacher who send us to this movie,it was a pleasant surprise,and i would like to recommend it to everybody who likes a good thriller..
Having just seen "Les Riviéres Pourpres", or "Crimson Rivers", I thought I´d like to comment it.In this movie Jean Reno plays Pierre Niemans, a "supercop" of kinds, sent to e remote mountain town to investigate a grisly murder.
Dub Be Bad To Me. Having read some good things about this film, and being on a bit of a French-Hollywood high in the wake of Brotherhood of the Wolf, I decided to give this classy-looking Jean Reno vehicle a rent.
I haven't seen yet any french actor who doesn't recite his dialogue, I think Jean Reno outperforms Vincent Cassel(he is not helped by his dialogue either) and some supporting roles are simply terrible.
In fact the film is superb while the two sub-plots are independent (slightly better the one with Jean Reno) but, by the time they converge, it begins to lose mystery and to gain action.
The quarrel between the old pro investigator (Jean Reno) and his unwanted sidekick from the province (Vincent Cassel) offers much fun throughout without ever being ridiculous; the murder mystery creates suspense right up to the end (which is a bit of a let-down, I must admit).
And of course, there is Jean Reno, who's one of my all time favorite actors and Vincent Cassel who always surprises me with his different roles, I couldn't have thought of anyone better but these two actors to be in this film.So great cast, great directing (I'm sure I'll be seeing the director at Hollywood very soon), great plot, and great atmosphere.
The acting by Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel are both top notch - all in all a remarkable film, that is well worth watching - you're pretty much guaranteed not to guess the ending in the beginning of the film.