Choice of Arms

Choice of Arms (original title Le Choix des armes) is a 1981 French crime drama directed by Alain Corneau, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Michel Grisolia. The film stars Yves Montand, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.

The story follows a former gangster and his companion whose quiet, well-ordered life is thrown into turmoil when an old accomplice escapes from prison. The escape forces the couple to reconnect with figures from their criminal past, pulling them back into a world they had long tried to leave behind.

Although built on the framework of a crime picture, the film functions just as much as a study of people under pressure and a look at facets of French society. Running about 135 minutes, it is regarded as one of the notable entries in Corneau's body of work within the crime genre, carried by the performances of its leading trio.