‘L’ivresse du pouvoir‘, the title of Claude Chabrol‘s 2006 film, was translated for the English-language market in ‘Comedy of Power‘. Is it just another uninspired translation like many others or a fundamental misunderstanding of what this film meant? The French title meaning ‘Drunkenness of Power’ describes exactly the phenomenon that takes over the film’s heroine, investigating judge Jeanne Charmant-Killman (Isabelle Huppert) who is investigating a complicated corruption case in a large French company, with obscure political ramifications at the highest level of corporate management but also with the French and international politics. The translated title implies a nuance of comedy that does not exist in explicit form and blurs the fact that the story focuses on the character of the judge, her courage but also her obsession in fighting strong adversaries and the system that supports them, and the personal price that she is forced to pay. Such a film succeeds or fails as the main role is played. In this case, the fact that the film holds water and is not easy to forget is, of course, due to Isabelle Huppert. It is one of the most successful collaborations between the great actress and Claude Chabrol from a list of nine films made together in almost three decades.
Two of the film’s heroes, judges, jokingly exchange a line stating that ‘investigative judges are the strongest people in France’. Judging by this film, there is a good deal of truth in this statement. In fact, investigative judges seem to combine in France the functions and powers of investigators and prosecutors for complicated cases. They can arrest suspects and put them under pressure for lengthy investigations. This is what the heroine of the film does when she investigates a complex case, inspired by a famous real case, which it seems that French viewers immediately identified despite or perhaps with the help of an ambiguous ‘disclaimer’ that opens the film. The investigation and the case itself do not seem to have particularly interested co-writer and director Claude Chabrol. His attention is focused on the judge, who apparently has the law and almost discretionary powers upon those under investigation, but against whom there is immense pressure, from friendly phones, fine meals and promotions to threats and attacks on her personal safety and even life. Her private life is also beginning to fall apart, but the obsession with justice and the drunkenness of the power with which she is invested are slowly taking over her person. For how long? Where are the limits?
Not much happens in this movie and what happens is not surprising. The investigation is progressing slowly and even if we do not know the details of the case it is clear that those investigated are guilty, but it is also clear that they are not exceptions in the social landscape but the norm in a corrupt system in which justice leads an unequal struggle against big financial and political interests. Even if in that case the judge will eventually get a trial and convictions, a few culprits will be sacrificed but the system remains standing. The quality of the film consists in the precision of the procedural details and the description of the daily life of the people working in the justice system. The judge’s character, ready to go very far, even too far, to reach significant convictions, and who has the courage to tell her boss that she is interested in justice and not in the public image of justice, is masterfully played by Isabelle Huppert in one of her many roles that can only be characterised as memorable. The actors around her have fewer opportunities to develop their characters, they are more sketches than complete characters. Claude Chabrol, of course, knows how to describe an investigation on screen and he does it with precision and detachment, but also with dry humor. The above-mentioned conspirators stubbornly smoke long, thick cigars. The main heroine is called Jeanne (as Jeanne d’Arc) Charmant (charming) Killman. ‘L’ivresse du pouvoir‘ is not one of Chabrol‘s best films, but the judge in red gloves played by Isabelle Huppert will be remembered by viewers for a long time.