Dhruv Trivedi
‘The Takedown’ (French: ‘Loin du périph’) follows Paris crime division chief Ousmane Diakité (Omar Sy) and his former police partner François Monge (Laurent Lafitte) as they follow the trail of a grisly murder. The mismatched pair and their never-ending banter put a comedic filter over an otherwise ominous narrative of extreme right-wing militias and dangerous drugs.
As Ousmane and François uncover the conspiracy, they find a mysterious organization known as the Sons of Clovis at the center of it all. In fact, it appears that even the Mayor and much of the local police force are associated with the group. So what happens to the Sons of Clovis at the end of ‘The Takedown’? And could they be based on a real right-wing group? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
What Happens to the Sons of Clovis at the End?
When Ousmane and François finally track the right-wing Mayor, Antoine Brunner, to his hideout, they see that he’s assembled a mob. His followers, who are well-armed and resemble a militia, have been summoned to put in motion a planned attack targetting mosques, immigrant shelter homes, and other spots frequented by minorities. What makes the task of stopping them even more daunting is that some members of the group — known as the Sons of Clovis — are on a drug that numbs all pain.
Ultimately, François distracts them while Ousmane disposes of all their guns and then drives in with a large vehicle. The surprised group, including their leader, Antoine, are caught unawares and scramble to subdue the two police officers. The battle is a chaotic one but Ousmane manages to knock out many of their adversaries with some creative maneuvering and sheer luck. When Antoine attempts to get away, the police officers give chase, leaving the rest of the Sons of Clovis members at the hideout. However, since Ousmane and François don’t have any backup, they are unable to arrest any of the other members of the group.
In the end, since Antoine is widely discredited and his terrorist conspiracy is publicized, it is likely that many of his known associates are brought to justice. However, many of the militia members likely escape, meaning that the Sons of Clovis are still active at the end of the film even though one of its leaders and a few of his followers are arrested.
Is Sons of Clovis a Real French Right-Wing Group?
The Sons of Clovis paint an ominous picture in ‘The Takedown’ and appear to be a brutally extreme right-wing group. Many of its thuggish members make racist jokes and seemingly consume a kind of methamphetamine that numbs them to pain. The group’s name seems to be a reference to the ancient Frankish King Clovis, who died around the year 511 and left the kingdom, which is much of modern-day France, to his four children.
Thus, the Frankish kingdom was divided amongst Clodomir, Theuderic, Childebert, and Chlotachar. The four sons regularly feuded but also collectively extended the boundaries of the kingdom. The Sons of Clovis appears to be a fictional group that fits into the narrative as a right-wing extremist element. The name could refer to King Clovis’ conversion to Christianity after he claimed that the Christian god helped him attain military victory over a rival tribe.
This has led some right-wing elements to claim that France is a Catholic nation — a notion that is protested by those on the left. Additionally, the mention of the sons of Clovis also harks back to a turbulent time in the Frankish kingdom before it was reunited. Ultimately, the extremist group seen in ‘The Takedown’ is not real. Like in most other countries, France also has extremist right-wing groups. However, the Sons of Clovis is not one of them.
Read More: Where was Netflix’s The Takedown Filmed?
