Coup de Torchon

aka: Clean Slate
France 1981, 128 minutes
Dir. Bertrand Tavernier
In French with English subtitles
Rating: [R16]
Genres: Foreign Cinema, Suspense/Crime, Drama

Feat. Philippe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Stephane Audran, Guy Marchand

Aroview: Mordantly humourous suspense set in dusty French Senegal, with Noiret playing a much-abused police chief who begins to have dreams of revenge.

Discovering that his stupefyingly passive outlook is the perfect cover for his crimes, he sets out on a curiously half-hearted journey into crime, amorality and religious delusion. Adapting Jim Thompson's classic pulp novel 'Pop. 1280', this changes the setting, but maintains the unusual air of psychosis.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-3 of 3 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) A classic black comedy. Recommended ~Sandy
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4 stars (Very Good) ~Regando
I find this review offensive! I don’t agree with this review. I agree with this review.
3 stars (Good Enough) Not sure if the racial rules were broken in 1981, but it is this theme which stands out in 2025. I thought the screenplay lost its way at times, but Noiret & Huppert work extremely well, & the oddness of the plot idea sees it through. ~Tubbs

DVD Features

no extra features

aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Close Relatives

Killing, The (1956)
Wages of Fear (1953)
Boucher, Le (1969)

more matches…

Coup de Torchon cover

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Rental
DVD (R0) Widescreen	$6

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