Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Razzia sur la chnouf Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 19, 2019

Henri Decoin's "Razzia sur la chnouf" a.k.a. "Raid on Drugs" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include a recently remastered original trailer for the film as well as exclusive new audio commentary by critic Nick Pinkerton. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Here's some cash to get you started. We want you to take over the entire business.

A top crime boss named Paul Liski (Marcel Dalio) summons the aging gangster Henri Ferre -- also known in the underground world as the Man from Nantes -- and asks him to take over the drug-dealing business in Paris. He tells him that the man that used to oversee the business, Le Bosco, had to be removed because he got soft and sales throughout the city plummeted. If Ferre, who has recently returned from America where he was performing similar duties, agrees to do the job, Liski will transfer one of his restaurants to him so that it looks like he is running a legit business. Then from there, Ferre can begin fixing Le Bosco’s mess and work on expanding Liski’s distribution network. Ferre accepts the offer and then shakes hands with Liski.

Soon after, Ferre is visited by Roger ‘The Catalan’ (Lino Ventura) and Bibi (Albert Remy), Liski’s private enforcers, who introduce themselves and tell him that they are ready to assist him. Ferre then begins visiting the city’s biggest dealers, as well as the secret opium rooms and nightclubs where Liski saw the most disappointing sales. Ferre quickly learns about the ins and outs of drug dealing in Paris and while using Roger and Bibi’s services begins weeding out the most problematic pushers.

However, the more information Ferre acquires, the more it begins to look like the local authorities are closing in on him. Around the same time, Roger and Bibi also get into some serious trouble when they try to eliminate a frivolous insider and junkie (Lila Kedrova) whom Ferre has outed as a liability. Identified and followed by the authorities, the enforcers quickly end up in Ferre’s restaurant and demand that Liski helps them out, but when he agrees the city suddenly becomes too small for them.

The biggest reason why Henri Decoin’s film Razzia sur la chnouf (Raid on Drugs) became so popular in France when it was released in the early 1950s was the fact that it placed under the spotlight a problem that was traditionally either downplayed or completely ignored -- the corrosive effect(s) that drugs had on society. The film made it very clear that drug addiction did not discriminate, and easily destroyed lives in all echelons of society. Also, a lot of people that previously did not pay attention to the crisis started realizing that drug dealing was in fact a well-organized global industry, not a criminal enterprise operating in a vacuum.

It is important to clarify, however, that Razzia sur la chnouf did not abandon the playbook that the big French gangster films from the same period used to impress. For example, its plot relies on a classic twist to eventually deliver a range of conventional contrasts and dynamics that these types of crime films promoted. Also, the attitudes and mannerisms on display are perfectly in sync with what classic gangster dramas like Touchez Pas au Grisbi and The Night Affair promoted.

The necessary romantic element emerges toward the middle of the film, where a very young Magali Noel, playing an emotionally available receptionist in the busy restaurant, begins an affair with her significantly older boss. The affair looks legit and as odd as it may sound it is where Gabin often looks most impressive. (It is not a coincidence, either. It is exactly the reason why this type of romantic relationship kept reappearing in various genre films that Gabin made later on. The most scandalous one is Love Is My Porfession with Brigitte Bardot).

The film is based on a novel that features dialog written by Auguste Le Breton, whose writings were also used for such French classics as Rififi, Speaking of Murder, and Bob le Flambeur.

Razzia sur la chnouf Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p, Henri Decoin's Razzia sur la chnouf arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the restored master that Gaumont prepared a while ago and used to produce this release of Razzia sur la chnouf in France. Press materials from Kino Lorber described it as a '4K restoration', but as far as I know the film was redone in 2K. (It is quite possible that it was scanned in 4K). Regardless, the master is superb and the film looks magnificent on Blu-ray. Delineation, clarity, and depth are outstanding, plus the grading job is as convincing as it should be. Needless to say, on a larger screen the film boasts some quite remarkable ranges of fine details and nuances. (I took screencaptures #3 and 19 specifically to demonstrate this particular strength of the master). There are no traces of problematic digital tinkering. The grain is ultra-fine and very nicely exposed and balanced. Image stability is great. Lastly, there are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or other conventional age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Razzia sur la chnouf Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are no technical or encoding anomalies to report. The audio is very clean, stable, and properly balanced. There are a few intense shootouts, but do not expected to be impressed with a great range dynamic contrasts. The English translation is fine, but on a lot of these recent releases of classic French gangster films I find the subtitles way too small. (Ironically, the remastered trailer for Razzia sur la chnouf has a proper/big enough English subtitles.

Razzia sur la chnouf Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - in this new commentary, critic Nick Pinkerton discusses the history and style ofRazzia sur la chnouf and shares plenty of interesting information about the careers and work of many of the people that made the film. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Kino Lorber.

• Trailer - a fully remastered French trailer for Razzia sur la chnouf. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Additional Trailers - trailers for the following releases from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. Port of Shadows
  2. Touchez Pas au Grisbi
  3. Maigret Sets a Trap
  4. Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case
  5. The Sicilian Clan

Razzia sur la chnouf Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While now it may look like a typical French crime drama, Henri Decoin's Razzia sur la chnouf (Raid on Drugs) was actually quite the eye-opener when it was released theatrically in the early 1950s. There are a couple of specific reasons why, but I think that the most significant one was the film's very effective revelation that drug addiction did not discriminate and easily destroyed lives in all echelons of the French society. Jean Gabin is the star of the film, but the list of great European actors that contributed to it is quite long (Lino Ventura, Marcel Dalio, Albert Rémy, and Magali Noël are just a few of them). Kino Lorber's new release is sourced from an outstanding remaster of the film that was prepared for Gaumont in France. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.