Mesrine: Killer Instinct

“The only rule in this world is the law of the judge.” -- Guido

Jacques Mesrine was a notorious French robber, who during his reign in the 60’s and 70’s unleashed a series of armed robberies--robbing banks and millionaires--and killing about forty people (official count) as the world’s most-wanted criminal. Not only did he commit crimes in France, but he also actively operated in Canada, the U.S., and Spain. In the latter part of his criminal career, Mesrine was imprisoned for ten years in Quebec, eventually escaping. Jean-François Richet’s “Mesrine: Killer Instinct” (2008) ends just after Mesrine’s eventful escape from prison. As a biopic, the film takes us on a journey through Mesrine’s criminal life and the events leading up to his imprisonment.

The film opens with a two-panel format and later expands to a three-panel format. While it is difficult to make out what’s happening in the panels, as there is no dialogue, you nonetheless realize the significance of the shot when the movie ends. Thereafter, the film introduces us to the character of Mesrine in Algeria with the French army. To show loyalty to France, he is asked to lead a violent torture session on a group of Arabs. Meanwhile, Mesrine comes back to France and starts robbing rich businessmen. He gets married to Sofia (Elena Anaya), but he soon feels detached from the domestic world. With the help of a veteran underworld don, Guido (Gerard Depardieu), and later assisted by his girlfriend, Jeanne Schneider (Cecile De France), Mesrine is back to his old ways: robbing banks, casinos, and millionaires.

As a gangster, lover, husband, and criminal, Cassel’s character is challenged in a multitude of situations. The experience in Algeria imparted a permanent scare on Mesrine’s mind. He loses grip of things and always feels the world is an unreasonable place to live in; and no matter how hard he tries, the worst-case scenario dictates the course of things. Mesrine attempts to lead a non-criminal life when his daughter gets caught in cross-fire with an opposing gang. Like a good citizen, Mesrine goes to jail for his crimes, and when he comes out, he finds a low-paying job. But destiny has other things planned for him.

The screenplay realistically develops Mesrine’s transformation to a gangster.  On the domestic front, Mesrine is shown as an abusive, violent, and unforgiving person, and he always operates with an uncontrollable anger. On numerous occasions, we see his character getting overwhelmed by the gangster mind-set. Always prioritizing his gangster friends ahead of his family, Mesrine’s association with Guido perpetuates his criminal career. For Mesrine, the criminal world was like an additive drug; it was easy for him to get into this world, but once he got hooked on the riches he accumulated, there was no turning back.

We also see Mesrine’s bias towards Arabs, which he probably developed during his early years in Algeria. He became immoral and lost all his values as a dutiful citizen. Even so, the bias only propagates more violence, and we are left to wonder if there is a reasonable end to this. Jeanne comes into Mesrine’s life, and they both start their own crusade with a motive to kill and rob. Later, when Jeanne is arrested, Mesrine tries to convince here that he is coming for her. In the ensuing phone conversation, Mesrine’s love for Jeanne reminds us of “Bonnie & Clyde,” and Jeanne can feel their glory days are over.

Jacques Mesrine, played by Vincent Cassel, has to be one of the best casting choices ever for a lead role. If you thought his performance in “Black Swan” (2010) as a relentless director was flawless, wait until you watch his breathtaking, multilayered performance in “Mesrine: Killer Instinct.” It’s a rare occasion when you love the presence of the movie’s antagonist in every scene, only because the performance is supremely electrifying.

Cassel brings ferocity to Mesrine’s character with his raw intensity and piercing eyes. His face exhibits a variety of complex emotions. Indeed, every scene is occupied with Cassel’s dominance, which only emulates Mesrine in real life. Covering Mesrine’s world opens up a huge emotional landscape, and Cassel covers this ground with an uncanny ease that convincingly demonstrates Mesrine’s intricacies. For his performance, Cassel won a Caesar Award (French equivalent of Oscar Awards) in the Best Actor category. Indeed, Cassel’s performance leaves a lasting impression on its viewers because he is able to successfully represent a portrait of a most-wanted criminal.

So, why would anyone want to make a biopic out of the world’s most-wanted criminal? There is hardly anything inspirational about the Mesrine’s character. Well, the world of criminals is surely entertaining for filmmakers. We get a racially-biased criminal, guns, violence, sex, prostitutes, drama, action, a “Bonnie & Clyde” style love story, and a prison that are necessary ingredients for an entertaining flick. While the initial panel format might be a bit convoluted for some, it nevertheless succeeds in building the tension. The action moves at a breakneck pace, notably the prison escape sequence later in the film; the editing is slick, and the action is executed realistically and brutally. Of course, a film is only as good as its script and the performances of its leads, and “Mesrine: Killer Instinct” soars in all these respects.

Video:

The 1080p transfer is encoded using an MPEG-4/AVC codec and presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The film opens up with an interrogation scene that has a nice layer of grain. However, in a few scenes, the grain is considerably reduced, raising doubts about using too much DNR. But it appears the usage is minimal and is not intrusive to the overall experience. The transfer packs in amazing number of details; the close-ups, especially, reveal good detail; and skins tones are realistic. There are plenty of outdoor scenes, and the transfer perfectly presents the bold and bright colors.  Mostly, the film is shot with bright lights, and the transfer renders everything with a consistent clarity. Overall, this is a stunning-looking transfer.

Audio:

The back cover indicates the presence of lossy English and French tracks. But here is the surprise: Both the tracks are presented in a lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master track. I watched this movie in its original French track. The dialogue is crisp and consistent. The front and rear channels remain active throughout. In the action sequences, the track comes to life with its realistic representation of sound. Explosions, gunshots, and car chases makes the audio very dynamic. Overall, the sonic experience is engrossing. Also, the movie can be viewed with English subtitles or in an English dub track. 

Extras:

There are no extras included for this release, apart from a few promotional clips.

Parting Thoughts:

Simply put, “Mesrine: Killer Instinct” is one of the best gangster movies of the last decade. Driven by Cassel’s mesmerizing performance, the film is one hell of a ride. The film encompasses outstanding, well-executed action sequences that thrill us to the very end.  Above all, it’s tense, entertaining, gripping, and unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what the second part, “Mesrine: Public Enemy #1,” brings. Until then, I hugely recommend “Mesrine: Killer Instinct.”