COUP DE TORCHON

In this pitch-black adaptation of Jim Thompson’s 1964 pulp novel Pop. 1280, Lucien Cordier is an inept and timid police chief in a sleepy French colonial outpost in Senegal. Withstanding daily humiliations by his wife and harassment by two local pimps, Lucien is pushed to his limit, and transforms into a heartless killer. Part absurdist comedy, part neo-noir, COUP DE TORCHON is a macabre exploration of power, masculinity, and societal decay, co-starring a luminous Isabelle Huppert and presented in this stunning 4K restoration. Film Center exclusive. 

Awards & Nominations

Nominee - Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards
Nominee - Best Film, Best Actor (Philippe Noiret), Best Actress (Isabelle Huppert), Best Supporting Actor (Eddy Mitchell), Best Supporting Actor (Jean-Pierre Marielle), César Awards

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu