RRRrrrr on TFX: 22 Years Later, We Still Use This Iconic Line Created by Alain Chabat

Sometimes, a single line can make a work a cult film! This is the case with RRRrrrr, a comedy released 22 years ago, whose one small phrase has since entered common language and forged its legend.

In January 2004, Alain Chabat brought us a completely wacky comedy, RRRrrrr. After the triumph of Mission Cléopâtre two years prior, the director took a 180-degree turn with this absolutely outrageous offering.

Prehistoric Comedy

The filmmaker transported us back 37,000 years, to the heart of two neighboring tribes that lived in peace... almost. While the Clean Hair tribe enjoyed peaceful days, keeping the secret of the shampoo formula to themselves, the Dirty Hair tribe lamented.

Their chief decided to send a spy to steal the recipe. But a much graver event would disrupt the lives of the Clean Hair tribe: for the first time in human history, a crime had just been committed. How to discover the perpetrator? In the age of mammoths and wigs begins the first police investigation in history.

Unfortunately, while Mission Cléopâtre enjoyed immense success with 14.5 million admissions, RRRrrrr suffered a cold reception from critics at the time. The comedy, featuring a host of stars, still managed to attract 1.7 million viewers; however, it took time for the public to rediscover it on video and turn it into a cult work.

"We didn't all experience it the same way. In fact, the one who took it hard was Alain Chabat, because he was coming off Asterix, and he had to pay for Asterix. So Le Parisien headlined: 'Useless!'", Jean-Paul Rouve shared on the set of C l'hebdo.

"Alain took it badly. Yes, we all took it badly, and I a little less because I was lucky; at the same time this came out, I released Podium, which was a big success. Suddenly, you're in this mix, so you suffer less than your friends. I know that PEF suffered a lot. That's the life of cinema. And we found our film funny, and it became cult," the actor indicated.

An Iconic Line

Indeed, the public embraced RRRrrrr, notably thanks to the memorable lines peppered throughout the film, some of which have since entered common language.

For example, for the past 22 years, when we turn off the light, when the sun sets, or when we're about to go to bed, we love to chant the following phrase: "It's going to be all dark!" If we are with someone who gets the reference, they will inevitably respond: "Shut up!"

This little absurd dialogue recurs several times in RRRrrrr. Pierre, the night watchman, delivers this line to the villagers, signaling the sunset. Portrayed by Pascal Vincent, he shouts "It's going to be all dark" while strolling through the alleys. His peers then respond one by one with a well-timed "Shut up!"

This comedic repetition was the hallmark of the Robin des Bois troupe, formed at the time by Marina Foïs, Jean-Paul Rouve, Pierre-François Martin Laval, Maurice Barthélémy, and Elise Larnicol. Alongside Alain Chabat, the troublemakers injected their quirky humor, heavily focused on wordplay and absurd, offbeat situations.