And Hope to Die (1972)

Random movie trailer time again.  This time it is for the original French language trailer for a film released in English as And Hope to Die. An international co-production, financed with French and Italian money and filmed in Canada, this slightly odd crime movie used to turn up on the BBC.  It must have been some when in the eighties when I caught it in a late night slot on BBC2.  I happened upon it by chance, having no idea what it was about.  The way the plot unfolded intrigued me. Or rather the plots, as the film chronicles how one storyline, involving Jean-Louis Trintignat's Tony being relentlessly pursued by a band of murderous gypsies intersects with an entirely different story line involving a group of gangsters, led by Robert Ryan's Charley, who are planning to kidnap a millionaire's daughter for ransom.

I don't recall the exact details, running from the gypsies, Tony stumbles into the gangster's hideout and is taken prisoner by them.  He ends up being co-opted into their kidnap plan in order to replace a gang member who has been wounded (possibly in an encounter with the gypsies).  He goes along with it, partly in the hope that it will give him some respite and possibly protection from the gypsies.  The kidnap is successful, the aftermath not so much as the girl dies.  As Tony attempts to escape, the gypsies catch up with him and the gang and it is revealed that he had been involved in the deaths of some gypsy children.

Despite not remembering all of the plot details, I do remember the film as having the sort of cool and slightly detached atmosphere of the best French crime movies.  Some of the set pieces also stick in my mind, particularly the kidnap itself, which involves the gang pretending to be firemen to gain entry to the building where the girl lives, using the ladder of a fire engine.   All in all, it was a distinctive and compelling film, with a top notch international cast.  As far as I'm aware, that was the last time it was shown on UK TV.  I kept hoping it would turn up again, but it never did.  Over the years, most of the details and even the title faded from my memory.  But, thanks to the internet, I was eventually able to identify the film again. Apparently, the English language version has been available on DVD, so I really must try and locate a copy.  In the meantime, if you get an opportunity to see And Hope to Die, I'd urge you to watch it.  Not only is it a decent crime film in its own right, but it is one of a growing number of movies which are in danger of fading from the public consciousness, simply because they are perceived as being 'old' and/or 'unconventional' in some respect.    Only by seeking them out and watching them can we keep these films alive.