Wicked Games: Three Films by Robert Hossein: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: France, 1955 (The Wicked Go to Hell), France/Italy, 1958 (Nude in a White Car), France/Italy/West Germany, 1961 (The Taste of Violence)
Director: Robert Hossein (All Films)
Cast: Marina Vlady, Henri Vidal, Serge Reggiani, Jacques Duby, Robert Dalban, Robert Hossein (The Wicked Go to Hell), Robert Hossein, Marina Vlady, Odile Versois, Héléna Manson, Henri Crémieux, Pascal Mazzotti (Nude in a White Car), Robert Hossein, Giovanna Ralli, Mario Adorf, Hans H. Neubert, Madeleine Robinson, Dany Jacquet (The Taste of Violence)

Release Date: November 17th, 2025 (UK), November 18th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 92 Minutes 59 Seconds (The Wicked Go to Hell), 92 Minutes 35 Seconds (Nude in a White Car), 85 Minutes 34 Seconds (The Taste of Violence)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Wicked Go to Hell), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Blonde in a White Car), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (The Taste of Violence)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £39.99 (UK), $69.95 (USA)

The Wicked Go to Hell: "In a hard penitentiary, two prisoners fight off the rumour that one of them denounced a recently executed inmate. With their fellow convicts at their throats they join forces and escape. Along the way, they hole up in a remote beach cabin where they take the angel-faced occupant (Marina Vlady, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her) as their hostage while they figure out their next move." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Nude in a White Car: "On an evening stroll, Pierre (Robert Hossein, also director) is invited into a white car by a female voice. Upon getting in he finds a nude blonde with her face obscured by shadow. After sharing an intimate moment, Pierre tries to get to know her but she produces a revolver and orders him to leave. Astonished by the events, Pierre determines to find the woman and traces the car to an address where two blonde sisters live (Marina Vlady, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her and Odile Versois, Passport to Shame), one who claims to never go out and another who is paralysed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Taste of Violence: "In a Latin American country ruled by a dictator, revolutionary leader Perez (Robert Hossein, also director) holds up a train to kidnap the dictator’s daughter (Giovanna Ralli, The Mercenary) to trade her for captured revolutionaries. Perez takes her across dangerous terrain with his two lieutenants Chamaco (Mario Adorf, The Italian Connection) and Chico. But the bounty on her head is high and compatriots may be easily tempted to switch sides." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (The Wicked Go to Hell, Nude in a White Car), 4/5 (The Taste of Violence)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, “Each film in this collection was restored in 2K by Gaumont. Additional color correction was applied to The Taste of Violence by Radiance Films for this release. The films were supplied to Radiance Films as digital files and are presented in their original aspect ratio.”

The Wicked Go to Hell comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.3 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

Nude in a White Car comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.8 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The Taste of Violence comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31 GB

Feature: 24.7 GB

All of the sources are in excellent shape, although The Taste of Violence does not look as strong as the other two films; it is not far behind them quality-wise. Flesh tones look healthy, contrast and black levels are strong, image clarity and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. All of the audio tracks are clean and free of any imperfections, dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the scores are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for The Wicked Go to Hell include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), a newly created ‘making of’ featurette titled Picking Strawberries, with historian Lucas Balbo, featuring archive interviews with Hossein and Jean Rollin (14 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM stereo English and French with removable English subtitles), a featurette by Howard S. Berger titled Behind Marked Eyes: The Cinematic Stare of Robert Hossein (27 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critic and author Tim Lucas.

Extras for Nude in a White Car include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Marina Vlady (8 minutes 34 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), a video essay by critic Samm Deighan titled The Evolution of the Femme Fatale in Classic French Cinema (16 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Tim Lucas.

Extras for The Taste of Violence include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker and Western authority Alex Cox (7 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an interview with author C. Courtney Joyner on The Taste of Violence and the Zapata Western subgenre (26 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Tim Lucas.

Other extras include reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 40-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled Robert Hossein’s Cinema of Reluctance written by Walter Chaw, an archival writing titled The Wicked Go to Hell and Frédéric Dard translated by Lucas Balbo, Robert Hossein on Nude in a White Car translated by Lucas Balbo, Robert Hossein on The Taste of Violence translated by Lucas Balbo, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Robert Hossein directed The Wicked Go to Hell, Nude in a White Car, and The Taste of Violence. Other notable films he directed include Double Agents, The Secret Killer, and Cemetery Without Crosses.

The Wicked Go to Hell: Two escaped convicts end up at an isolated house by the seaside where a painter and his girlfriend live. Not wanting to take any chances, they kill the boyfriend, while they let his girlfriend remain alive for now.

Rififi forever changed the landscape of French crime cinema, and for his directorial debut, Robert Hossein, who starred in that film, would make a film in the same vein. The Wicked Go to Hell was adapted from a play written by Frédéric Dard, an author whom Robert Hossein would return to often as a director and an actor. Robert Hossein’s other Frédéric Dard adaptations include Nude in a White Car, Double Agents, The Wretches, The Menace, and Paris Pick-Up.

The opening setup effectively establishes the characters, and as the narrative unfolds, it skillfully builds momentum through a series of increasingly tense moments. What starts off as a story about two prisoners being accused of being snitches evolves into a prison break in which they let their violent impulses guide them as they try to remain free. By the time the narrative reaches the last act, there is one more shift; this time revenge takes center stage.

All around, the performances are excellent, especially Marina Vlady’s (Chimes at Midnight) portrayal of Eva, the girlfriend of the painter who’s killed by the two escaped convicts. Her character's evolution from a passive character into a femme fatale is remarkable. Other performances of note are Henri Vidal (The Damned, 1947) and Serge Reggiani (Le Doulos) in the roles of two cold-blooded convicts. Director Robert Hossein makes an appearance as one of the prison convicts.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where The Wicked Go to Hell does not excel. The well-executed narrative is overflowing with tension, and things move along briskly. Another strength of the narrative is how the tension comes from the obstacles the two convicts face trying to remain free. Robert Hossein’s direction is solid; he delivers an ample amount of visually arresting moments. Ultimately, The Wicked Go to Hell stands out as an exemplary French noir that captivates you from the start, maintains your focus throughout, and delivers a powerful, vengeance-driven finale.

Nude in a White Car: A mysterious blonde woman seduces a drifter in her car one evening, and after he leaves the car, she nearly kills him. His only clue to uncovering her identity is the car's license plate, which leads him to two sisters.

Nude in a White Car is an exemplary example of how to execute a mystery film. It draws you in with a sequence that sets everything in motion, and it holds your attention with a series of tension-filled twists. The opening setup sees a man who accepts a ride from a blonde woman, and shortly after he gets inside of the car, she seduces him. Her demeanor quickly changes when he wants to get a closer look at her; she kicks him out of the car and tries to run him over. From there, the narrative is driven by the protagonist's determination to uncover her identity.

When the man meets the two sisters for the first time, the narrative employs a well-executed twist that makes his task of covering the woman's identity difficult. While both sisters are blonde, one of them is wheelchair-bound, and the other does not drive at night. Giving them a handicap, the narrative effectively obscures which one of them was driving the car that night. Can Eva walk or is Hélène trying to frame her sister?

Although there are secondary characters, it is ultimately the three leads' performances that leave any lasting impression. Robert Hossein cast himself in the role of Pierre Menda, a man who becomes obsessed with unmasking a blonde woman who picked him up, seduced him, and tried to kill him. Odile Versois (The Last Vacation) is cast in the role of Hélène Lecain, the older of the two sisters and the caretaker of her sister. Marina Vlady (Princess of Cleves) is cast in the role of Hélène’s wheelchair-bound younger sister Eva.

The narrative has so many things going for it. There is a friction between the two sisters as they compete for Pierre’s affection. Why doesn’t the guilty party get rid of Pierre? Why doesn’t Pierre just walk away and cut his losses? All of these greatly enhance the mystery that's unfolding, making the revelation in the finale all the more potent. Another area where Nude in a White Car excels is its visuals; it's filled with striking moments that greatly enhance the mood. Ultimately, Nude in a White Car is one of the best examples of French noir and it is arguably Robert Hossein’s best film as a director.

The Taste of Violence: Revolutionaries kidnap a dictator's daughter and hold her for ransom in exchange for their imprisoned comrades who are scheduled for execution.

There had been Euro Westerns before Sergio Leone forever changed that landscape with A Fistful of Dollars. One of them is Robert Hossein’s The Taste of Violence, a film that is an early example of a subgenre known as Zapata westerns. These films were set in Mexico during a revolution, and there are two characters: a Mexican bandit/revolutionary and an opportunist from another country usually America. That said, The Taste of Violence fits firmly into the Zapata western subgenre, despite lacking the latter.

The narrative is simple: revolutionaries trying to save the lives of their fellow comrades. The revolutionaries lack the men and firepower needed to free them by force, so they kidnap a dictator's daughter as their bargaining chip. Although they effortlessly achieve their initial goal, getting her to the exchange for their men becomes a monumental task.

All around the cast is excellent in their roles, especially Giovanna Ralli's (The Mercenary) portrayal of Maria, the dictator's daughter. Maria’s calmness is deceptive and when the time arrives, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to free herself from her captors. The other performance of note is Robert Hossein in the role of Perez, the leader of a group of revolutionaries fighting the dictator and his military. A cast member of note is Mario Adorf (The Specialists) in the role of a hotheaded revolutionary named Chamaco.

The most surprising aspect of The Taste of Violence is how much of its carnage is offscreen. That said, most of the time words defuse conflict, not violence. The visuals do a remarkable job heightening the mood, and the most striking moment is a scene where Perez and Maria walk down a city street where revolutionaries are hanging. Another area where The Taste of Violence excels is how effectively its narrative creates tense moments that build upon each other. Ultimately, The Taste of Violence is a well-crafted film that is overflowing with social commentary and its power lies in the words that are spoken.

Wicked Games: Three Films by Robert Hossein is an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with strong audio/video presentations and insightful extras, highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

World Noir Volume 4: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: France, 1955 (Chnouf), France, 1958 (Back to the Wall), France/Italy, 1962 (Paris Pick-Up)
Directors: Henri Decoin (Chnouf), Édouard Molinaro (Back to the Wall), Marcel Bluwal (Paris Pick-Up)
Cast: Jean Gabin, Magali Noël, Lino Ventura, Albert Rémy, Marcel Dalio (Chnouf), Jeanne Moreau, Gérard Oury, Philippe Nicaud, Claire Maurier, Gérard Buhr (Back to the Wall), Robert Hossein, Lea Massari, Robert Dalban, Maurice Biraud (Paris Pick-Up)

Release Date: September 15th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 104 Minutes 57 Seconds (Chnouf), 94 Minutes 31 Seconds (Back to the Wall), 86 Minutes 31 Seconds (Paris Pick-Up)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Chnouf, Back to the Wall), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Paris Pick-Up)
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £37.49 (UK)

Chnouf: "Henri (Jean Gabin, Touchez pas au grisbi) is brought in following a successful stint in the US to head up operations by gang boss Lisky. Tasked with increasing sales and reforming the drugs distribution network he unpicks every aspect of the business, but pushers don’t want to change and the cops are on his tail.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Back to the Wall: "Jacques, a rich industrialist, sneaks around an apartment where he bundles up and disposes of a dead body. His troubles started three months ago, his wife, Gloria, was having an affair... To get his revenge he sends Gloria anonymous letters in a scheme to turn her against her lover, a scheme that leads to murder.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Paris Pick-Up: "Recently released ex-convict Robert Herbin (Robert Hossein, Rififi) meets Marthe (Lea Massari, L’Avventura), a beautiful Italian woman and her daughter. They share some flirtatious glances and then she invites him back to her home where they discover her husband’s dead body. Unable to bear witness to a crime due to his parole Robert flees. Guilty about her situation Robert stays close by where he discovers the body has inexplicably disappeared.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (All Films)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, “Chnouf, Back to the Wall, and Paris Pick-Up were all restored in 2K by Gaumont. All three films were provided to Radiance Films as high-definition files.”

Chnouf comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.3 GB

Feature: 30.5 GB

Back to the Wall comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.9 GB

Feature: 27.4 GB

Paris Pick-Up comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.4 GB

Feature: 25 GB

All three sources look excellent; fleshy tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and they all retain an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, an LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. All audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for Chnouf include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), A Violent, Implacable, Hitherto Unknown Underworld—an essay on Chnouf and drugs in film noir by Frank Krutnik (27 minutes 27 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival French TV interview with director Henri Decoin who discusses Jean Gabin, and an archival audio commentary with Nick Pinkerton.

Extras for Back to the Wall include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival retrospective interview with director Édouard Molinaro (23 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Daniel Kremer.

Extras for Paris Pick-Up include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival French TV interview with actor Robert Hossein and writer Frédéric Dard (13 minutes 40 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival behind-the-scenes report on Paris Pick-Up (3 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Marcel Bluwal (23 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM stereo French with removable English subtitles), Inspector Leclerc Investigates: The Grey Jackets a TV crime serial directed by Marcel Bluwal (26 minutes, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles),and an audio commentary with Tim Lucas.

Other extras include a removable OBI strip, leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and an 80-page perfect-bound booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled The Lonely Romantic: Jean Gabin in Henri Decoin’s Chnouf written by Farran Smith Nehme, an archival writing titled About Razzia Sur La Chnouf: Miea Culpai, an essay titled Fatal Woman: Jeanne Moreau and Back to the Wall written by Imogen Sara Smith, an archival writing titled Playing the Game written by Édouard Molinaro, an archival writing titled Crisis in French Cinema: Édouard Molinaro and Marcel Bluwal, an essay titled Lumps of Coal: The Tradition of Christmas Noir written by Jake Cole, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Chnouf: An undercover cop infiltrates a drug syndicate.

Henri Decoin directed Chnouf. He’s known for Not Guilty, Strangers in the House, Devil’s Daughter, Between Eleven and Midnight, and The Truth About Bebe Donge.

Chnouf is a film best enjoyed without any prior knowledge. Once you experience its payoff, it completely recontextualizes everything that has happened before. However, before I delve too deeply, the moments leading up to the payoff are executed perfectly. The opening setup does a phenomenal job drawing you in and holding your attention, and the narrative effectively builds momentum through a series of tense moments and surprises. Another area where the narrative excels is fleshing out characters.

When discussing Chnouf, so much relies on whether you connect with Jean Gabin’s (The Grand Illusion) portrayal of Henri Ferré, a master criminal who is recruited by a narcotics drug ring to root out problem workers and improve efficiency. Despite his portrayal as a tough, uncompromising individual, he also exhibits a tender side. That being said, he delivers a solid performance in which he fully immerses himself in character.

The rest of the cast features familiar faces from French cinema, all of whom deliver outstanding performances. Lino Ventura (Witness in the City) and Albert Rémy (The 400 Blows) portray a pair of hitmen who help Henri dispose of problems. Another performance of note is Magali Noël (Rififi) in the role of Lisette, a cashier who works for Henri and falls in love with him.

Chnouf is a film infused with film noir style; the visuals do a superb job of heightening the mood. The most striking and memorable moments are scenes where the two hitmen kill people and a shootout finale where Henri finally reveals who he really is. Another strength is Marc Lanjean’s score, which does an exceptional job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Chnouf offers an unflinching exploration of the criminal underworld, and its effectiveness is largely due to the outstanding performances of its cast.

Back to the Wall: Instead of confronting her, a wealthy industrialist blackmails his wife when he finds out she’s having an affair.

Back to the Wall was directed by Édouard Molinaro; his notable films are Witness in the City, Oscar, A Pain in the Ass, and La Cage aux Folles.

Betrayal and revenge are central themes in Back to the Wall. The film starts with a husband discovering his wife's extramarital affair, but it quickly evolves into a revenge story when he chooses to kill her lover rather than confront her. That said, even the best-laid plans can go awry, and there is one final twist in which the wife has the last laugh.

The opening setup is a moment that reveals something that actually happens later on in the film. The narrative then shifts to a lengthy flashback that fleshes out characters and their motivations. The narrative does a superb job building momentum and maintaining tension. Although dialogue-heavy, the narrative always holds your attention with its well-timed twists and turns.

Gérard Oury delivers an exemplary performance in the role of Jacques Decrey, the husband whose wife has an affair. Jeanne Moreau (The Bride Who Wore Black) is cast in the role of Jacques' wife, Gloria. Her character is in a loveless marriage, and she has fallen in love with another man who gives her what her husband cannot. That said, when it comes to the rest of the performances, they perfectly complement the two leads.

Édouard Molinaro’s direction is solid, and nowhere is this clearer than in the opening setup. It is an expertly crafted moment that does a phenomenal job building tension as the husband tries to remove the boyfriend's corpse from his apartment without being seen. Back to the Wall frequently shines in its visuals, showcasing many striking moments. When combined with the score, these elements work together effectively to enhance the overall mood. Ultimately, Back to the Wall is a perfectly executed game of cat and mouse whose moment of truth makes the events that preceded it all the more potent.

Paris Pick-Up: A convict recently released from prison meets a woman on Christmas Eve and inadvertently becomes involved in her husband's murder.

Marcel Bluwal directed Paris Pick-Up. He’s most known for his work on television movies and series.

Paris Pick-Up is a film noir set during Christmas Eve, in which a man who has everything to lose refuses to walk away from a situation in which he becomes ensnared. While wandering the city, he meets a woman with a child, and he befriends them. He offers to walk the woman and child home, and once there, she invites him inside. Although they leave the apartment and go to a nearby bar, she convinces him to return to her home. Once inside, they discover the body of her husband, who apparently committed suicide. He has two choices as an ex-con: just walk away or stay with the woman; he chooses the latter.

Deception is a central theme in the unfolding narrative. While it appears that his chance encounter and subsequent friendship with a woman are coincidental, the final act unveils her true intentions. The story contains an element of deja vu, as moments repeat in similar ways; however, there is an additional person involved the second time around.

There are really only two performances of note: Robert Hossein (Cemetery Without Crosses) in the role of an ex-con and Lea Massari (L'Avventura) in the role of a married woman who's lured a stranger into her home. Robert Hossein’s character is a kindhearted person who has no ulterior motives for helping the woman, while Lea Massari’s character is an enigma who never reveals who she really is. That said, when it comes to the secondary characters, they are all excellent in their roles.

What starts out as a melodrama gradually evolves into a complex mystery where clarity is not always guaranteed. The first half of the film is mostly moments with characters doing mundane things; momentum picks up considerably once the twist occurs. While the visuals primarily allow the characters to take center stage, the final 20 minutes feature some visually striking moments. Ultimately, Paris Pick-Up is a well-crafted film noir that concludes with an exemplary finale, emphasizing that crime does not pay and no good deed goes unnoticed.

World Noir Volume 4 is an exceptional release from Radiance Films; all three films have never looked or sounded better, and there is a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: World Noir Volume 4 is limited to 3000 copies.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer