The Policeman is a 1971 film from Israel directed by Ephraim Kishon.
It is a satirical comedy about Avraham Azoulay, a police officer in the town of Jaffa. He is not a very good policeman; in the opening scene he fails to notice a gang of burglars robbing a store literally a block behind him. Later, he commandeers a car to stop a joyrider, and fails to notice that the car he's riding in is stolen. His old buddies from the army have risen high in the police hierarchy while he's still a beat cop. He is also too soft-hearted to be a policeman. He forgives a driver's 50 lirot
ticket for failing to stop at an intersection, and thus has to pay a ticket himself. He accompanies his fellow policemen on a prostitution raid, but can't bring himself to stop any of the hookers as the run away; he only stops the last streetwalker because his supervisor notices. That particular hooker, a lovely young woman named Mimi, takes a shine to Avraham, even though he's married.
So it's no surprise when Avraham, whose contract with the police department is due to expire, is told that the contract won't be renewed and he will be pensioned off. It is however a surprise to the gangsters in Avraham's neighborhood, who are not pleased when they hear that Avraham will be retiring, because they are afraid that a more competent beat cop might put a crimp in their operations. So the local gangsters have to figure out a way to get Avraham to stop a fake crime, so that he can keep his job and continue his bumbling incompetence in their neighborhood.
Tropes:
- As You Know: In the opening scene Avraham tells his buddy Albert that he prefers being a beat cop on the night shift. Albert says "You've been like that for 20 years!", letting the audience know just how badly Avraham's career has gone.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Avraham is facing a mob of screaming, rock-tossing Orthodox rioters. He is able to get them to pipe down by screaming "QUIET!", much to the shock of Sgt. Bejerano.
- Bittersweet Ending: The gangster plan works out, as Avraham is credited with foiling the church robbery. He is promoted to First Sergeant...and forcibly retired anyway, as his supervisor tells him his contract won't be renewed. The good news is that he'll get a more generous pension thanks to the promotion. The bad news is that he won't be a cop anymore. The film ends with Avraham, wearing his new insignia of rank, crying as he salutes a passing battalion of cops.
- Buxom Beauty Standard: The French cop, bragging about the Israeli girl he's been having sex with, says "She has tits like grapefruits!"
- Crocodile Tears: Avraham stops a driver and issues a ticket. The driver, a young man, bursts into tears and says that it's his father's car and his father will kick his ass. Avraham the soft touch lets the young man drive away. After the young man drives away, he starts laughing and blows a raspberry at the rear view mirror.
- Dramatic Irony: Avraham, bragging about his skills as a policeman, says "I've got a sixth sense!" As the words are leaving his lips a gang of burglars is breaking into a store, in plain sight, directly behind him.
- Establishing Character Moment: The opening scene, where Avraham fails to notice an armed robbery taking place maybe 100 yards behind him, establishes that he's a terrible cop. The next scene, where he waives off a driver's 50 lirot fine and as a result has to pay it himself, establishes him as kind-hearted and generous to a fault.
- Funny Background Event: Avraham is gabbing away with his friend Albert, all the while failing to notice the robbery going on in plain sight, directly behind him, at the end of the block. A van full of cops shows up to arrest the burglars, and Avraham still doesn't notice.
- Head-Turning Beauty: Mimi brags that she slows traffic when she walks the streets.Mimi: I'm a red light.
- Hidden Depths: Avraham is not without talents, but they're talents that aren't very well suited to being a police officer. He is able to calm down a bunch of rock-throwing, rioting Orthodox Jews by showing off his encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible. He also is fluent in French which comes in handy when a delegation of French policemen visit the office.
- Imagine Spot: Avraham is prone to these. When Capt. Lefkowitch is about to fire him, Avraham imagines being stood up against a wall and shot. Avraham responds to Mimi's direct invitation for sex by saying regretfully that he's married and couldn't leave his fat, dumpy wife—but then he has an elaborate fantasy of marrying Mimi. A more melancholy scene has him imagining a large family; later he reveals that his wife Betty is infertile.
- Leg Focus: Avraham can't stop staring at the legs of Mimi the pretty young prostitute, as they all travel in the police van back to the station. She notices this, deliberately and slowly re-crosses her legs, and then hitches her skirt up a little bit.
- Neck Snap: One of Avraham's Imagine Spots, when he's watching some cheesy action movie on TV, has him imagining himself in the movie and doing this to a bad guy.
- Reluctant Retiree: Avraham is credited with foiling the church robbery, just as the bad guys intended. He's promoted to first sergeant—and then he's told that his contract still isn't being renewed and he's being retired anyway. It's basically as cruel as possible, with Capt. Lefkowitch disinterestedly handing Avraham a watch, which apparently they didn't bother to get engraved, and then telling him to get lost. Immediately after, and while Avraham is still right there, he starts talking with an underling about how they don't have enough manpower. A melancholy Avraham asks if he can visit the police station sometimes, and Capt. Lefkowitch says "Call first."
- Storefront Television Display: Avraham is walking his beat when he stops in front of a storefront television display, and watches cops in riot gear attacking a mob. Avraham shows obvious admiration for the kind of ass-kicking police work he himself is incapable of.
- Streetwalker: Mimi, the luscious young hooker who walks the same streets that Avraham does as a beat cop. He would have let her go during the raid, but his supervisor Sgt. Bejerano Saw him. Mimi takes a liking to him and says that he can come by her apartment any time for a freebie. Avraham declines, saying that he's married—but that doesn't stop him from carrying around her mugshot in his wallet, or having an elaborate fantasy of marrying her.
- Sudden Downer Ending: The whimsical adventures of an Israeli Inspector Clouseau end up with him getting forced into retirement in the last scene. The last shot has Avraham's eyes brimming with tears as he salutes the cops marching in the courtyard.
- Tactful Translation: One of the French cops is bragging about how the Israeli girl he picked up has firm thighs and big breasts. Avraham, who is translating, tells Capt. Lefkowitch that "They have high regard for the overall organization of the police."
- That's an Order!: Capt. Lefkowitch tells Sgt. Bejerano to do the dirty work of firing Avraham. After Bejerano refuses, Lefkowitch says this word-for-word. Bejerano refuses and stalks out of the room.
