Le jeu avec le feu (1975)

Director:

Alain Robbe-Grillet

Writer:

Alain Robbe-Grillet (written by)

Release Date:

19 June 1975 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Rape | Sex | Hostage | Female Full Frontal Nudity | Paris France

Cast

Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Franz / Francis
Philippe Noiret	...	Georges de Saxe / Ses doubles
Anicée Alvina	...	Carolina de Saxe
Sylvia Kristel	...	Diana Van Den Berg
Agostina Belli	...	Maria, la servande des Saxe
Serge Marquand	...	Mathias
Charles Millot	...	Un ravisseur
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Un messager
Jacques Seiler	...	Le chauffeur de taxi / Le domestique d'Erica / Le prêtre
Michel Berto	...	L'adjoint du commissaire
Christine Boisson	...	Christina, la fille dans la malle / Desdémone
Marc Mazza	...	Un messager
Jacques Doniol-Valcroze	...	Le commissaire Laurent (as J. Doniol-Valcloze)
Nathalie Zeiger	...	Tania, la fille aux chiens
Joëlle Coeur	...	La mariée

Also Known As:

Giochi di fuoco (Italy)
Playing with Fire (International: English title)

Runtime:

France:112 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16

Company:

Arcadie Productions

Soundtrack:

Il Trovatore

Good movie for the arty and/or the horny

Alain Robbe-Grillet is an accomplished writer of novels (like "Jealousy") and screenplays (like "Last Year in Marienbad"), but in the 1970's he turned to the sex genre not because he was really that interested in making sex movies, but because it gave him a forum he wouldn't have otherwise had to continue making his experimental, surrealist art films (and to have them seen by anybody). In this respect he was kind of like his fellow countrymen Jean Rollin and Walerian Borozyx and (some would say anyway) the Spaniard Jess Franco.

It's hard to describe this movie. It involves a kidnapping, a brothel, a strange criminal gang in bowler hats, and a bourgeoisie couple and their maid, but even the characters are fluid and seem to transform into each other, and cinematic time and space are so re-arranged that it seems to take on the illogic of a dream. If you enjoyed "Last Year at Marienbad", you'll probably enjoy this, but if you're not such a fan of that movie there's also the added attraction of a bevy of Euro-beauties like Anicee Alvina, Agostina Belli, Joelle Coeur, and Sylvia Kristel all getting (more-or-less) naked. So this a good movie for the arty and/or the horny.

Unfortunately, it is not currently available in English (though I doubt it would make any more sense), but they recently released one of Robbe-Grillet's other later films, "La Belle Captive" on a subtitled DVD, so hopefully it won't be too long until they get around to this one.