There's a certain weight that settles in when you watch Jean-Paul Belmondo in The Loner (1987, original title Le Solitaire). It's not just the gritty narrative of a cop consumed by vengeance, but the palpable sense of an era drawing to a close. Gone is the purely acrobatic, grinning rogue of his earlier triumphs. Here, as Commissaire Stan Jalard, Belmondo carries the years, the losses, and the grim determination of a man locked onto a single, destructive path. It’s a feeling many of us might recognize, revisiting these films years later – the landscape has changed, the rules feel different, but the core drive remains.
Ghosts on the Cobblestones
Directed by Jacques Deray, a frequent and masterful collaborator with Belmondo (think Borsalino (1970) or Flic ou Voyou (1979)), The Loner plunges us into a familiar yet darker Paris. The film opens with a brutal sting operation gone tragically wrong, leaving Stan’s partner dead at the hands of the ruthless gangster Schneider (Jean-Pierre Malo). Years pass, but the wound doesn't heal; it festers. Stan, now working in a different division, remains obsessed, his life a holding pattern until Schneider inevitably resurfaces. Deray crafts an atmosphere thick with rain-slicked streets and dimly lit bars, a nocturnal world where justice feels less like a system and more like a personal vendetta waiting to be settled. It lacks the flamboyant energy of some earlier Belmondo-Deray pairings, opting instead for a more somber, deliberate pace that mirrors Stan's own weary single-mindedness.
Belmondo: The Weight of the Badge
What truly anchors The Loner is Jean-Paul Belmondo himself. At 54, he still possessed that undeniable physical presence, performing many of his own stunts with the legendary Rémy Julienne coordinating the action (including a particularly bone-jarring car chase sequence). But the real power here is quieter. There’s a profound melancholy in his eyes, a weariness in his posture. Stan isn't just hunting Schneider; he's grappling with his own obsolescence, a tough cop operating by an old code in a world that’s moving on. It’s a performance less about dazzling charisma and more about contained intensity. Watching him navigate the bureaucratic frustrations and the moral compromises, you feel the toll the job – and his obsession – has taken. Does the relentless pursuit justify the sacrifices, the isolation? The film doesn't offer easy answers.
Echoes of the Policiér
Interestingly, The Loner marked Belmondo’s final traditional policiér role for almost a decade. Perhaps sensing a shift in audience tastes or feeling the need for different challenges, this film feels like a conscious, albeit somber, farewell to the character type that had become synonymous with his name throughout the 70s and 80s. While it incorporates familiar elements – the loyal (if concerned) colleagues like Simon (Michel Creton), the shadowy underworld figures, the sudden bursts of violence – it does so with a distinct air of finality. The plot itself, a straightforward revenge narrative, isn't particularly groundbreaking, feeling almost like a well-worn trench coat – familiar, perhaps slightly frayed, but offering a certain grim comfort. It received a somewhat lukewarm reception upon release, perhaps overshadowed by the flashier action spectacles emerging from Hollywood, but viewed now, its grittiness and Belmondo's grounded performance offer a different kind of satisfaction. It’s a snapshot of a specific moment in French crime cinema, tougher and less romanticized than some of its predecessors.
Discovering films like this back in the video store era often felt like uncovering a hidden gem. Tucked away, perhaps with slightly imposing cover art, they promised something different – a European sensibility, a star operating on his own terms. The Loner perfectly embodies that feeling. It wasn’t the blockbuster smash, but a solid, atmospheric thriller carried by the undeniable gravity of its lead. It doesn't shy away from the grim realities of Stan's quest, reminding us that revenge rarely provides clean closure.
Rating: 6.5/10
The Loner isn't Belmondo's most iconic or action-packed outing, nor is it Deray's most stylish directorial effort. Its plot treads familiar ground, and the pacing occasionally feels deliberate to a fault. However, it earns its score through Belmondo’s compellingly weary performance, the effectively gritty atmosphere, and its status as a significant marker – the end of an era for Bébel's legendary run as France's toughest cinematic cop. It delivers solid thrills and a surprisingly poignant character study beneath the surface.
For fans of French crime films or those seeking a more grounded, melancholic Belmondo, The Loner remains a worthwhile watch, a stark reminder that even screen legends feel the weight of time, leaving us to ponder the ghosts they – and we – carry.