Max Pecas’ 1985 cop thriller Death Squad – perhaps “better” known as Brigade of Death – is at its heart a spiritual successor to Death Wish, at its core a violent film about the perpetration of justice when the normal line of investigation fails to deliver results. Whereas Bronson’s vehicle found an assassin in an architect, Pecas centers his film around the vice squad of the police department, specifically reveling in the seedy underbelly of Paris’ criminal/cop dynamics. The film stars Thierry de Carbonnières as Gerard, a vice cop working with prostitutes and transsexuals on the streets to bring down mobsters like The Greek, only referred to by his street name so you know he’s top of the line. When the film begins, we’re treated to naked trans victims shotgunned down by bikers clad in leather, the first hit in a series of blows to Gerard’s personal life that sets him on a course of vigilantism.
While Death Squad does give a minor amount of characterization, it is surprisingly bereft of much development for Gerard or his life. We get glimpses of it – how he feels personally involved with his contacts and witnesses, how he has an unrequited love with Veronica (Lillemour Jonsson), and his complicated relationship with his girlfriend (wife?) Sylvie (Gabrielle Forest). These snippets seem to indicate Pecas’ yearning to depict Gerard as a sort of everyman; it almost posits the question to the viewer, “What would you do?” And also of note, Death Squad rarely finds fault with Gerard, even when he’s infiltrating bad guy compounds with guns blazing or setting the film’s criminal scum on fire. Instead, he’s looked on as something of a hero despite the vigilantism, giving vast sums of money to the poor and getting an approving nod from his captain. It’s hard to deny that Death Squad is promoting vigilante justice.
Regardless of the moralistic elements of the film, it’s a rather fun affair all things considered. Its brisk 90 minutes are filled with shootouts, double-crossings, and many scenes of barely-clad women in all kinds of peril. Pecas is not one to cut away from exorbitant flesh, whether that be sexual or violent, and the film features a number of gruesome showdowns including a visceral concluding sequence with buried hatchets, dismemberment, and a grenade down the pants. These all make for a sense of whiplash as the film continues to barrel its way forward to the ultimate conclusion between Gerard and the true nemesis of the film, Costa (Jean-Marc Maurel), who eclipses The Greek as the chaotic outlier in organized crime.
While Death Squad doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to films about vigilante justice, it’s a compelling watch because of its good deal of bloodshed and constant flow of events. It also brings an even dingier aesthetic than some of the other movies in the subgenre, hitting all the right notes to recreate a gritty drive-in experience.
Blu-ray
Mondo Macabro have released Death Squad on Blu-ray in its original uncut form with a new 4K transfer of the film negative. This new restoration looks excellent, retaining the film’s gritty filmic look without losing any detail or definition. Skin and clothing textures all look exceptional, with stubble, patterns, and threads all visibly noticeable. There is a medium-high grain scale but it resolves nicely and never appears obstructive, even during the film’s dark lighting. Black levels are consistent and never appear crushed, though delineation is occasionally lacking (most likely due to intentional lighting rather than anything wrong with this transfer). The film has a number of foggy/smokey sequences that are also handled very well. Damage is surprisingly minimal. Overall, Death Squad is highly satisfying with this 4K transfer.
Audio is presented with both DTS-HD 2.0 mono French and English offerings. Both sound good, though preferential treatment is given to the native French option. The soundtrack is robust and dialogue levels remain consistently voluminous. Sound effects are appropriately mixed. No sibilance or clipping issues noticed; however, the English track does have a slight audible fuzz to it in the background. English subtitles are included and defaulted on for the French audio.
This Blu-ray doesn’t contain any new features; instead it collects a few interviews that Le Chat Qui Fume included on their French Blu-ray release. There’s a half-hour interview with Thierry de Carbonnières, who discusses how he got into acting and his role with Max Pecas, as well as his love of art and writing in his older age. An interview with Olivia Dutron discusses her various roles with Pecas and also how it slightly hindered her film acting career. Jean-Claude Couty talks about his time working with various directors as cinematographer and more specifically the issues with lighting when shooting in Paris. Finally, a trailer is also included.
Extra Features
- NEW 4k transfer from film negative, digitally restored
- English/French audio choice, English subtitles
- Interview with Thierry de Carbonnières (1080p; 33:51)
- Interview with Olivia Dutron (1080p; 22:11)
- Interview with Jean-Claude Couty (1080p; 24:20)
- Trailer (1080p; 2:03)
Verdict
An excellent transfer and a number of previously released extra features make this Blu-ray version of Death Squad well worth a collector’s money, especially considering that the film itself is a great entry in Max Pecas’ filmography.
