Rent Going Places (1974)

Boring, dated, tiresome French early 70s film, yes - but not sexist or misogynistic - Going Places review by PV

This film is just deadly dull - it is far too dull to be offensive, other than to those desperately looking to be offended, or so conditioned by our politically correct age that they cannot see the contradiction in being offended by this, but not offended by a movie showing leery women exploiting men (no doubt some would see that as 'liberating' and portraying 'strong women'). Well, you can't have it both ways, sisters! (Unless feminists are hypocrites, of course).

Anyway, the problem with this film is that it essentially has no plot - two likely lads hassle women for sex and engage in petty theft on an early 70s road trip across France (but really, it is not as exciting as it sounds).

Possibly the second half of this movie is brilliant - but we lost patience after 40 minutes and simply could not stand any more! It felt as though we'd watched 5 hours of tedium after half an hour, so just couldn't take the second half. If it's as bad as the first though, this is one star - and evidence that the French are different if this was a huge hit in 1974. With whom? Who could possibly enjoy this drivel?

Aimless but compelling - Going Places review by JD

This is pretty random in places with quite a lot of loose ends. The plot is held together by a thread, but the editing has to be seen to be believed, great chunks hacked at illogical points. At first I thought it was for censorship reasons but other times it clearly is not. Anyway it sways from violent to erotic to comic in a pleasant way and is eventually compelling. Some very silly moments that you will remember for a while.

A genuinely revolting & misogynistic film, despite Depardieu's 1st leading role - Going Places review by Timmy B

Gérard Depardieu is a titan of French cinema. This film, his first as a leading man, shows that, despite it's revolting contents, his power & command of the screen. Inexplicably, this was one of the most successful films in France in 1974, no doubt helped by the fierce controversy it ignited due to the actions of it's protagonists. But this really is a rancid film, filled with at times disgusting misogyny.

Depardieu & Patrick Dewaere play Jean-Claude and Pierrot, two amoral chancers who spend their days scamming people out of their money & property, but who also firmly believe that they are the ones hard done-by and deserving of everything (the word narcissism barely does them justice.) The story follows them as they move around France, causing problems wherever they go, usually ending up with them fleeing under cover of darkness.

This was a challenging watch from the get-go. We are introduced to Jean-Claude and Pierrot as they literally stalk & terrorise a woman as she goes about her business, revelling in her panic. These two big & athletic men eventually pin her up against the doors to her apartment building and proceeded to grope her, whilst the film invites us to laugh at her terror. Now, I know that times have changed and there are things that were acceptable back then which aren't seen as acceptable now (and believe me, I get sick of the seemingly constant offence-taking by a certain group of vocal people today,) but that act is just disgusting.

The film just seems intent on celebrating the actions of these absolute creeps, the camera acting as the most leery voyeur you could imagine. This extends to the two men intimidating a breast-feeding mother to allow one of them to suckle her, then paying her some money to try & make it not seem like the horror show it is; breaking in to a family home & examining underwear to gauge just how young the daughter could be; complaining that the woman they take prisoner doesn't display sufficient enthusiasm as they take it in turns effectively raping her... I mean the list goes on.

The final straw for me was when they persuade this woman, who the script inexplicably makes a cypher who either acts completely uninterested when being sexually assaulted or furious when she is ignored/slighted, to break them into her workplace to rob it. She then expects, having done this, some romantic attention. Obviously, Jean-Claude and Pierrot totally ignore her & proceed to burgle the shop, causing her to explode with rage. Jean-Claude then casually shoots her in the leg, the two men tie her to a chair whilst they finish the robbery, before fleeing into the night & leaving her to bleed out/get arrested.

And with this, I switched off the TV. I simply could not tolerate watching a celebration of these two absolute vermin, nor bear the idea of the next scene where they would no doubt complain very loudly about how badly they were treated and that a queue of women wasn't forming to cater to their every whim.

Avoid.