There 's nothing supernatural in "les chiens" ,but Alain Jessua's treatment gives us the strange feeling we are sometimes watching a sci-fi,fantasy and horror movie.The atmosphere seems irrational,and even the "good" heroine turns into an almost disturbing character.She was the victim of a rape and she bought a dog to protect her.In the town,a lot of people do the same,in spite of the mayor's opposition.Depardieu portrays the owner of kennels where he trains the future dog-handlers (we've got to call them like this because it's not longer the nice little pets).A movie about insecurity,like all Alain Jessua's movies of the seventies ,it was too ahead of its time for its own good.

At the end the movie ,the heroine has come full circle :she recognizes her rapist (or ,which is not the same,she thinks she recognizes him)and violence is about to break out again.

With the possible exception of a jockey - for which his build tends to disqualify him - Gerard Depardieu has, in a career spanning more or less four decades, taken on roles in a gamut that runs from A to about W so we shouldn't be that surprised to find him here as a breeder of 'attack' dogs who also trains would-be owners/handlers. Add to the mix a comely young woman who, in the wake of a vicious rape, acquires a dog and set of instructions from Depardieu; add further a zealous doctor, a spate of 'rogue' dog attacks on the good burghers of the ville and you have an offbeat yet strangely satisfying film. A selling point for me was the name of Fanny Ardant in the credits but this was only her third film and she has little to do other than wear a white uniform and look cute.