El rufián

Starts absolutely masterful and then nosedives hard, sadly.

The amazing Lino Ventura plays a rough prospector in the rocky mountains, at least we're lead to believe that. After a stunningly directed and framed violent and exciting prologue full of beautiful landscape photography scored with a Ennio Morricone soundtrack the movie transforms into an awkward garbled mess that doesn't really know what it wants to be.

I have rarely seen a movie nosedive this hard. I would have loved if the movie had stayed a rough wilderness survival adventure piece with a solo Lino Ventura fighting nature and bandits.

But as it is I can only recommend everyone watch the movie until Lino Ventura arrives in the city and immediately destroy the DVD or Blu-Ray they're watching, to keep the great impressions of the first arc and spare themselves the sour note of a completely blundered premise.

This film describes the adventure of a group of friends who want to recover crates full of gold from a fall in Canada. I had a fond memory of it, which somehow faded with a recent viewing.

Lino Ventura is still good, but lame at times. Landscapes are fabulous and the music by Vladimir Cosma is still good in the main theme, although unfortunately pasted more or less continuously, which was not the smartest move.

Other characters and actors are not reaching that high, including Claudia Cardinale and Giraudeau (possibly the best one in the cast there).

A good portrait of the Canadian Wild West today, it remains a decent rental or discount buy if you're fond of Lino Ventura.

Most of José Giovanni's movies are about "Honour among losers". At best they are beautiful or colourful losers but most of the time they are just losers. Before Giovanni "realized" he could cut the middleman to bring his stories to the big screen he first wrote Le Trou (a jail movie, so the characters are only temporary losers) which happened to be helmed by Jacques Becker (his swan song). Then he did two scripts for Robert Enrico (Les Grandes Gueules et Les Aventuriers) who IMO mostly benefited from a solid cast including both times Lino Ventura and his career as a "solid" film-maker was definitely launched (also for the mediocre Enrico who owed to Giovanni's "straightforward sentimental actioneers" his successful transition to feature length). Both movies do not warrant a second viewing but they are somewhat pleasant and original the first time around.

Le Ruffian is mostly a rehash of the Aventuriers baseline. Two adventurous losers trying to lose big time but in style... and most importantly staying best buddies, laughing it all away. No wonder I remembered little from my first viewing as a kid. And I would be even harsher than other reviewers who enjoyed the first act: it is badly scripted and badly shot from the very first frame. There was potential, sure, but then again shooting in the wilderness with a more than competent cast does not count as a bonus point on a mediocre work. It means you are overselling your ability to shoot something that does not look ridiculous in the middle of grandiose scenery with actors who were better utilized elsewhere.