The Police War

The Police War (French: La guerre des polices) is a French police drama film directed by Robin Davis and starring Claude Brasseur, Claude Rich and Marlène Jobert. The French title (literally: "the war of the polices") refers to the rivalry between the two divisions of the French police force: the Territorial Brigade and the Anti-Gang Brigade. The film is loosely based on the real-life competition between French police divisions to capture gangster Jacques Mesrine, who was considered at the time France's public enemy number one. Mesrine was shot dead by police ten days before the film's release, generating public curiosity and helping the film become a box-office success in France.