I saw RIDER ON THE RAIN early in my Bronson obsession, so this would have been sometime in the late 80s. As a young and naive teenager, I was a prime target for those folks out there selling older Bronson movies on VHS tapes whose advertising did not properly represent the film they contained. No matter what store our family went to, if they had any movies for sale, I’d always go check out the inventory. I remember this specific tape for RIDER ON THE RAIN that I bought from our local “Fred’s” discount store. It used pictures of Bronson from DEATH WISH 4, holding his high-powered rifle, to try to sell this suspenseful, character driven mystery. It was quite the education seeing how distributors shamelessly tried to sell Bronson’s older films. I do remember not liking the movie so much upon that first viewing, because I was looking for the Bronson of the 80’s, whose characters were mostly just required to blow away the scum. But it’s grown on me over the years, and I now consider it an excellent film, especially for those looking for the more charismatic Bronson before he got typecast after DEATH WISH.

Directed by René Clément, this French Italian production opens with Mélancolie (Marlène Jobert), a young woman living in the South of France whose relatively quiet life is interrupted when a mysterious stranger breaks into her home and sexually assaults her. When she manages to kill her attacker in self-defense, she makes the unfortunate decision to dispose of his body rather than contact the authorities. Enter Colonel Harry Dobbs (Bronson), an American investigator who arrives seemingly knowing everything about what happened. Dobbs has a rather unusual way of questioning people, and his unpredictable behavior leaves Mélancolie wondering whether he’s there to help her, expose her, or perhaps something else entirely. As the two begin an increasingly complicated game of cat and mouse, it becomes clear that there’s considerably more going on than anyone initially lets on.

Watching the film now, one of my favorite things about RIDER ON THE RAIN is that it doesn’t play like a traditional Charles Bronson movie, or at least one that was made after DEATH WISH. Bronson only gets a couple of opportunities to kick butt throughout the entire film, and since he’s in prime physical condition, he’s an absolute badass during those times. However, what’s most intriguing about Bronson’s character here is that he’s initially mysterious and only over time are we given access to his true intentions. His Harry Dobbs can be charming one moment, bullying and intimidating the next, and he always seems to be several steps ahead of everyone else. It’s a different kind of performance, but one that demonstrates why he was such an interesting actor to watch. Bronson had recently become a worldwide phenomenon because of his performances in FAREWELL, FRIEND and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, and RIDER ON THE RAIN was a smash hit in Europe, solidifying his status across most of the world.

Even though you wouldn’t have known it from that old VHS box I bought at Fred’s, the main character of the film is played by Marlène Jobert, who gives us a heroine who is vulnerable, resourceful, and increasingly caught up in circumstances she never could have anticipated. Yet she somehow can hold her own even though she never knows quite what Dobbs has up his sleeves. It’s an excellent performance, and the strong chemistry between her and Bronson, who doesn’t show up until over 25 minutes into the movie’s nearly two-hour running time, gives the film some real emotional punch. He sarcastically calls her “Love Love” throughout the film, and if the “walnut against the windowpane” trick is to be believed, he may even love her by the end. That trick is a fun little detail that I’ll preserve for you to discover when you watch, but it leaves me with a smile on my face as the credits roll. I always like to point out to everyone that Jobert’s daughter in real life is actress Eva Green. In supporting roles, Annie Cordy gives a solid performance as Mélancolie’s mom, Jill Ireland looks beautiful, and Marc Mazza is just plain creepy as the sexual deviant and “rider on the rain” whose much-deserved ending kicks off the story.

Clément brings his European sensibility to the proceedings, favoring atmosphere, suspense, and psychological games over the more straightforward action that would eventually become Bronson’s trademark. Looking back now, I get a sense of satisfaction seeing Bronson work with the same guy who directed classics like FORBIDDEN GAMES and PURPLE NOON. Bronson’s European phase produced some fascinating work with some equally fascinating filmmakers that I appreciate more over time. There’s also an impressive musical score from Francis Lai that adds to the film’s somewhat dreamlike, occasionally unsettling atmosphere. Interestingly, the same year he did this, he also composed LOVE STORY!

RIDER ON THE RAIN is a fascinating entry in Charles Bronson’s filmography. In my opinion, it’s one of his best films and features one of his best performances. It’s also a critically acclaimed film, having won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. This movie is very different than his later work, as it takes its time with its intriguing premise and unpredictable characters, and gives us just enough twists and turns to keep things moving. And while we used to be stuck with bad copies on cheap VHS tapes and DVDs, a few years ago Kino Lorber restored the film on Blu Ray in all its glory, and it looks phenomenal. It’s a revelation if you haven’t revisited the film since the old days. While I’ll always make time for Charles Bronson movies in my life, I’ve grown to truly appreciate the films that give him the opportunity to do something a little different.