Fear of the city: what injuries did Jean-Paul Belmondo suffer on the set of this film?

Released in theaters in 1975, the cult film baptized Fear over the city, worn by Jean-Paul Belmondo, will be rebroadcast on Sunday January 2, 2022, from 9:05 p.m. on W9. Directed by Henri Verneuil, this feature film stars the character of a Parisian police commissioner, played on screen by Jean-Paul Belmondo, who tracks down a serial killer terrorizing the French capital. The cast is completed by comedians Charles Denner, Adalberto Maria Merli, Lea Massari, as well as by Rosy Varte and Jean-François Balmer, of which it is one of the first films.

Shot in the fall of 1974, this feature film is notably known for the involvement of Jean-Paul Belmondo in the stunts, which he all performs himself. Upon its theatrical release, Fear over the city was a huge commercial success with almost 4 million admissions. A result commensurate with the risks taken by the one we nicknamed “Bebel” on set. The sacred monster of French cinema, which died out in 2021, will have injured himself twice during the shooting. His hand was torn in particular during an accident caused by his suspension from a gutter. It was also subject to a few cuts due to its fall through a canopy.

Fear of the city: very dangerous stunts for Jean-Paul Belmondo

Jean-Paul Belmondo really put his life in danger during the filming of the chase scenes on the rooftops and on the Parisian metro, as well as in the final sequence where he is suspended from a helicopter. During this scene, the film crew had to deal with the wind and the Paris police headquarters, which required that the tower in which Jean-Paul Belmondo was to enter be empty at the time of filming. Some shots of this sequence were also filmed in a subjective camera by the actor himself.

Furthermore, it took 3 weeks of shooting to box the metro scene. In fact, production could only run between midnight and 5 a.m., when the undergrounds are closed to the public. During the stunt performed by Jean-Paul Belmondo, the train travels at 60 kilometers per hour, but to give the impression of greater speed, Henri Verneuil somewhat tampered with the soundtrack.

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