Vendetta rusticana

After a noir movie, talented Jean Devaivre shot a total opposite movie, a French western comedy in Camargue. To find the best locations, Devaivre was advised by veteran Joe Haman, who shot plenty of action westerns in Camargue in early silent Era and who knew every corner of Camargue. The "gardians" are the French cowboys and the "gitans" are the Indians. Nothing is serious in this Vendetta, II meant to be seen in family, mostly for kids. Brigitte Auber is the action young girl taking control on a farm and their lazy employees, she's real tough with guns, horses and judo. She's helped by handsome Jean d'Orgeix (as Jean Pâqui), actor but also famous horserider and aviator. Rosy Varte is the sexy "gitane" named Conchita, dancing sensually and slightly unclothed. And also Jean Tissier, Jacques Dufilho and even Émile Billiau, the owner of the farm ("manade"). Joseph Kosma composed the music. Enjoy Henri Crolla's guitar (he was Yves Montand's guitarist in "Souvenirs perdus" and he played with Jacques Higelin in "le Bonheur est pour demain" in Brière, another Camargue in Bretagne). To see with young kids to have a family laugh.

As French has no wild west , the "westerns " are filmed in Camargue; as the gypsies go every year to a pilgrimage to the Saintes -Maries -De -La -Mer (the legend has it that Mary Magdalene and two companions would have landed in this lovely town ), they would play the part of the Indians with gusto. All the more dangerous for the gardians /cowboys that there's a bad guy and a bad girl (Rosy Varte! ) among the gypsies,and to make the matters worse ,there's also a shrewd traitor among the "Whites" .

When she arrives to the mas (farm or ranch in Provence),the new boss , a woman is exposed to the sly comments of her macho cowboys ;but actress Brigitte Auber was a sportswoman, an acrobat ,which would give her an important part in Hitchcock 's "to catch a thief" .The hackneyed trick of the quicksands (scientifically impossible ,she would remain stuck but would not get drowned ) is once more used and no one bothers to fake the Provençal accent!!