punishmentpark I read in another review (here on IMDb) that Lee Marvin was ill during the shooting of this film and that this was a total waste of his talent. I agree that Marvin's role is rather minimal, and in that sense it never becomes a great role in the twilight of his career, but he doesn't do bad at all (especially now that I know about his condition during the shoot), and there are plenty more actors and actresses who do their bidding, especially Miou-Miou as a woman who likes sex but, for a change, is not discarded as a slut, and the extraordinary David Bennent (well known for his part in 'Die Blechtrommel'), playing a career-criminal in the making.I don't mind that there is no real main character here, just like there is no genre here that really dominates; it's a mix of heist-gone-wrong, man-on-the-run, a gorefest (with a lot of rather casual, bloody killing), raw drama about a dysfunctional farmer's family and their helpers (some pimps and thugs and cops and hookers show up as well), a little (sort of, though rather twisted) coming-of-age drama and a formidable ending which gives much room to especially Marvin and Bennent to shine, but Miou-Miou in a red dress in the rain should not be missed either.No, it's not a perfect movie, but it's a hell of a lot of gruesome fun! A big 8 out of 10.

bkoganbing Canicule has the distinct aroma of tax write off and trip to France for Lee Marvin in one of his last and least films of his career.Marvin plays American bank robber Jimmy Cobb who is on the run and now in France. The French authorities want this guy bad, they're even armed to the teeth. The beginning is a homage to Sam Peckinpaugh and The Wild Bunch with a shootout on the Paris streets where a whole lot of people get themselves killed in a botched attempt to take Marvin.Lee's on the loose with the loot from a bank job that was obviously committed in America because it's in dollars as opposed to francs. But he manages to get to the Normandy countryside where he falls into the hands of a family of farmers who've got their own ideas about him and his loot and his reputation. And by no means is it unanimous.Canicule is a French attempt to make an American style gangster film and they're not bad at it when doing things like Lemmy Caution with American expatriate Eddie Constantine. This one could have used the real Sam Peckinpaugh however directing this mostly French cast of players with Lee Marvin and Tina Louise. The dubbing and editing is hardly first rate. Marvin is in bad health which the camera plainly shows.As another reviewer stated Gorky Park is a far better film. That and Death Hunt are the last two really great films Lee Marvin made.

MadCow5703 This film was just downright depressing for me as a sleaze-movie lover and a fan of the great Lee Marvin. It had all the right elements, but the director, Yves Boisset, really screwed this film up. I blame him for everything that is wrong with it. His direction is so sloppy and third-rate I couldn't even tell what the hell was going on half the time. It could have been an interesting, if somewhat disturbing, black comedy. As other reviewers have stated, there are similarities between this film and Marvin's Prime Cut, but that film found a good balance between the repulsive and the humorous. This one fails on almost every level. It isn't even worthy enough to go into detail of its flaws. Also, Lee Marvin is totally wasted in this film. Once the first 5 minutes are over he is given absolutely nothing to do. Boisset had this incredible actor in the twilight of his career to work with. He could have made it into a sort of Last Great Film for the man, a study of a bad guy at the end of his life played by an actor famous for playing bad guys near the end of his life. Instead, that honor goes to Gorky Park. But I guess none of that really matters as Marvin was very sick during the making of this film, and you can tell. He seems tired, bored, and physically he looks haggard and ill. You can practically see his skull through his skin. This is NOT the way you will want to remember this great actor, so please, if you like Lee Marvin, do yourself a favor and honor his memory by never ever watching this movie. You have been warned.

alicecbr Watch the two movies together for an example of a good film and a bad one with the same themes. No one is good in this one, and that goes for the acting as well as the morality. The family is depraved and watching Lee Marvin go through his 'take the illegal money, eye the women, escape the pursuers' bit is incredibly boring.Skip it. A real waste of film, despite the VanGogh beauty of the golden fields of southern France.