EnglishMovies - Apaches : Discover the new trailer
By Mulder, 26 january 2023
"I loved Once Upon a Time in America (1984) and I always liked to approach a world through the prism of childhood. I liked the idea of a street girl, fascinated by this Apache gang... and who shares the same refusal of a miserable condition, the refusal to bow down and be assigned a place. Billie is not a weakling hardened by a terrible event: she is immediately animated by a strong and free spirit... with which her desire for revenge will conflict." - Romain Quirot
Apaches is a film written and directed by Romain Quirot (Le dernier voyage (2021)). The cast includes Alice Isaaz, Niels Schneider, Rod Paradot, Artus, Emilie Gavois-Kahn, Bruno Lochet, Rossy de Palma and Dominique Pinon. This film is inspired by real events and finds the epic breath of the great historical frescoes.
The France of the Belle Époque is fascinated by the American Indians that it discovered thanks to the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and the show of Buffalo Bill that triumphed a few years earlier. It is not surprising, in this context, that the expression "Apaches", which designates thugs, meets a real success. In 1902, the press gave this name to the gangs of thugs who were active in the capital and who shared their hatred of the police, the bourgeoisie and work, which was considered enslaving. It must be said that the social changes, the great works of the brand new metro and the redrawing of the city wanted by Baron Haussmann have pushed the most working classes from the center to the peripheral districts. It is there, along the fortifications, that workers and peasants who came from the provinces to find a job are now concentrated. All these people live in the poverty of the shantytowns that are gradually being built. Evolving in this environment, the "Apaches" kept themselves apart from the industrialized society that was being set up and refused to join the ranks of the workers whose tasks were repetitive and mind-numbing. To escape the misery, they formed bands, roamed, committed robberies and asserted their anger and thirst for freedom. It is estimated that they numbered between 30,000 and 80,000 in the early 1900s.
Each gang gave itself a name in reference to its neighborhood: there were the Gars de Charonne, the Monte-en-l'air des Batignolles or the Loups de la Butte (la Villette). They are between 15 and 20 years old and forge their identity through their style of dress - caps worn on the side, knotted scarves, workman's jackets, shiny boots, tattoos - and the slang to which they give their letters of nobility. In fact, several of their expressions have become part of everyday language and are still used today, such as "taf", "thune", "daron" or "condé". Frustrating and often violent, they break into people's homes to rob them, assault passers-by to rob them, prostitute girls and are ready to fight to defend their honor or the reputation of their gang. In a word, they sow terror in the streets of Paris.
The popular press does not delay to exploit this climate of insecurity which ensures him a new vein. Several titles such as Le Petit Parisien, Le Petit Journal or Le Matin, with a circulation of more than one million copies, reported the robberies of the organized gangs with sensational titles and outrageous illustrations. Georges Clemenceau, then Minister of the Interior, reacted with firmness to reassure public opinion and immediately created judicial police units, called the "Tiger Brigades". The most reactionary press did not hesitate to call for more severe measures to be taken against thugs. But other figures were also in the news, such as certain women who gravitated to the thug scene. The most famous is "Casque d'or", whose real name is Amélie Élie, mistress of two rival Apache gang leaders who regularly clash in the streets of the capital. The young woman was immortalized by Simone Signoret in Jacques Becker's magnificent Golden Helmet in 1952. Romantic figures among the thugs, the Apaches disappeared with the First World War when they were called up for military service and joined the trenches. But they leave behind them an inescapable legacy, which will be distilled in the gangs that will follow them, in Paris and elsewhere.
Our review of director Romain Quirot's first film is available here
Synopsis:
1900. From Montmartre to Belleville, Paris is in the hands of ultra-violent gangs that reign terror on the capital: the Apaches. Ready to do anything to avenge the death of her brother, a young woman joins a gang. But the closer she gets to the man she wants to eliminate, the more fascinated she becomes by him.
Apaches
Written and Directed by Romain Quirot
Produced by Fannie Pailloux
Starring Alice Isaaz, Niels Schneider, Rod Paradot, Artus, Emilie Gavois-Kahn, Bruno Lochet, Rossy de Palma, Dominique Pinon, Jean-Luc Couchard, Hugo Becker, Armelle Abibou, Crieur de journaux, Pierre Gommé
Music by Yves Gourmeur
Cinematography : Jean-Paul Agostini
Edited by Romain Quirot
Production companies : Apaches
Distributed by Tandem (France)
Release date : march 29, 2023 (France)
Running time : 95 minutes
Photos : Copyright Tandem Films
(Source : press kit)