Gérard Bedecarrax, nicknamed Bédé, is the dauntless right-hand man of a notorious
Paris gang leader. Nothing could be easier for him than to meet
up with another gang and exchange a large sum of money for some
drugs. Unfortunately, one of the gangsters just can't contain the
urge to fire off some lead. In the ensuing bloody gun fight, five
men are killed. The only survivor, Bedecarrax takes the drugs and
the money and takes flight. He ends up hiding out in a centre for
juvenile delinquents. Bédé might have had an easy life were
it not for the fact that someone is determined to reclaim the money...
With so many great films to choose from, it's nigh on impossible to compile a short-list of the best 15 French films of all time - but here's our feeble attempt to do just that.
The cinema of Japan is noteworthy for its purity, subtlety and visual impact. The films of Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa are sublime masterpieces of film poetry.
In his letters to his friends and family, Franz Kafka gives us a rich self-portrait that is surprisingly upbeat, nor the angst-ridden soul we might expect.