Dobermann (1997)

Director:

Jan Kounen

Writer:

Joël Houssin (writer)

Release Date:

18 June 1997 (France)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Plot:

The charismatic criminal Dobermann, who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers...

Plot Keywords:

Police Officer Killed | Doberman | Family Held Hostage | Deaf Girl | Psycho Cop

Cast

Vincent Cassel	...	Yann Le Pentrec aka Dobermann
Tchéky Karyo	...	Inspecteur Sauveur Cristini
Monica Bellucci	...	Nathalie / Nat the gipsy
Antoine Basler	...	Jean-Claude Ayache, dit "Moustique"
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Elie Frossard, dit "l'abbé"
Pascal Demolon	...	Lefèvre
Marc Duret	...	Inspecteur Baumann
Romain Duris	...	Manu
François Levantal	...	Leo
Ivan Merat-Barboff	...	Silverberg
Stéphane Metzger	...	Olivier Brachet, dit Sonia
Chick Ortega	...	Jacky Sueur aka Pitbull
Patrick Rocca	...	Commissaire Clodarec
Florence Thomassin	...	Florence
Roland Amstutz	...	Jo Hell (Oncle Joe vieux)
Jean Lescot	...	Le père de Sonia / Sonia's father
Arnaud Arbessier	...	Oncle Joe jeune
José Camacho	...	Le père de Dob (as Jo Camacho)
Jean-François Catton	...	Le directeur de la banque
Rodolph Freytt	...	Un convoyeur
Attica Guedj	...	La mère de Sonia
Marcel Leguilloux	...	Le curé (as Marcel Le Guilloux)
Laura Mañá	...	Victoria
Bruno Richard	...	L'adjoint du directeur de la banque
Francia Seguy	...	La cliente âgée de la banque
Virginie Arnaud	...	La pute frappée
Marc Baschet	...	Le clochard
Affif Ben Badra	...	Le mac (as Afif Ben Badra)
Lucie Bizart	...	Dobermann bébé
Frédéric Camus	...	Le barman
Marc Caro	...	Le flic mitrailleur miraculé
Elle Chocho	...	Un travesti chez "Joe Hell"
Anthéa Cintract	...	Une danseuse
Gilles Conseil	...	Le motard Rainer G
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Lambert
Gaspar Noé	...	Le marchand de merguez casher / Stunned Bypasser
Carméla Valente	...	La mère de Dob
Jan Kounen	...	Man at bank (uncredited)

Directed by
Jan Kounen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joël Houssin		writer

Produced by
Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela	....	producer
Éric Névé	....	producer

Original Music by
Brune		(as Schyzomaniac)
Jean-Jacques Hertz
Philippe Mallier
François Roy
Schyzomaniac

Cinematography by
Michel Amathieu

Film Editing by
Bénédicte Brunet
Eric Carlier		(co-editor)

Casting by
Pierre-Jacques Bénichou

Production Design by
Michel Barthélémy

Costume Design by
Chattoune

Production Management
Emmanuel Jacquelin	....	production manager
Susanna Lo	....	unit production manager
Roxanne Pinheiro	....	assistant production manager
Laurent Sivot	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Campi-Lemaire	....	third assistant director
Sébastien Deux	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Boris Piot	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Eric Chevallier	....	sound recordist
Jean-Paul Hurier	....	sound editor
Jean-Paul Hurier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Shorr	....	sound designer
Richard Shorr	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Alice Moine	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Gaston Marcotti	....	digital artist

Stunts
Olivier Vitrant	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Boris Bourgois	....	grip
Stéphane Martin	....	assistant camera
Fabienne Octobre	....	focus puller

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandrine Langen	....	wardrobe
Sylvie Ong	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Eric LeGarçon	....	assistant editor
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer

Music Department
Guennady Dmitryak	....	musical director: chorus
Jean-Jacques Hertz	....	musician: keyboards, guitars, electronic and acoustic bass
Jean-Jacques Milteau	....	musician: mouth organ, "Woosh!!" and "Bang..."
Rick Wentworth	....	musical director

Other crew
Aude Boedec	....	production coordinator
Olivia Bruynoghe	....	script supervisor
Charlotte Girard	....	unit trainee
Charles Senard	....	unit trainee
Philippe Valentin	....	head production accountant

Production Companies

• Canal+
• France 3 Cinéma
• La Chauve Souris
• Noé Productions
• PolyGram Audiovisuel

Distributors

• Alhena Films (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Atlantis Entertainment (1997) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (1997) (Italy) (theatrical)
• NTV-PROFIT (1998) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sogepaq Distribución (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video
• Scandinavian Entertainment Group

Other Companies

• Choeurs d'Hommes de la Capella du Musée du Kremlin de Moscou  choir

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong violence and language, and for drug use and sexuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Germany:18 (nf) | Ireland:(Banned) | Italy:VM14 | Mexico:C | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Canal de l'Ourq, Seine-Saint-Denis, France

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Jan Kounen]man trapped in the bank doors

Quotes:

Inspecteur Sauveur Cristini: [One of his only lines spoken in English] Welcome to reality baby.

Movie Connections:

Features Gisèle Kérozène (1989)

Soundtrack:

Dobermann (Bienvenue dans le chaos)

Violent, nihilistic. But so cool.

People have compared Dobermann to Tarantino's stuff, but I think it's much more similar to Luc Besson's Leon / crossed with Baz Luhrmann's direction in the opening of Romeo & Juliet.

Great comic-book angles and poses, larger-than-life characters, comic-book violence, Prodigy soundtrack.. Brilliant stuff.

Very cool theme, and great CGI opening credits (worth a mention on their own). I couldn't work out why Tcheky Karyo says about 3/4 of his lines in accented English, but who cares.

It's uncomplicated, violent, stylish mayhem, and it's great.