Les Aventuriers

...the first one being the unsurpassed "Au Coeur De La Vie"

Released when the nouvelle vague was à la mode and when critics did not care for the others (=who were not part of the Godard clique),"les adventurers " has stood the test of time remarkably well,so well that (God preserve us) some producers could think of a remake.

Robert Enrico had already directed "les grandes gueules" (1963) which enhanced male friendships in a Vosges Mountains sawmill and is still watchable today thanks to its good cast(Bourvil,Lino Ventura,Marie Dubois),and Enrico's effective directing.But nothing could have predicted "les adventurers" ,which seems today stronger than yesterday,when so many nouvelle vague "oeuvres " are reserved for highbrows and make too many people take to their heels when they hear about French cinema.

"Les adventurers" was based on the first part of a Jose Giovanni novel(who had written Becker's "le trou";Giovanni himself transferred the second part to the screen as "la loi du survivant").When it was released ,it was a huge popular success,but the critics were a bit condescending.

The Delon/Ventura/Shimkus threesome shines .They are true raiders ,in a way Indiana Jones is not:they have something to lose ,and they are human beings of flesh and blood.Enrico used the film sets with stunning results.He makes the scrap heap where Leatitia looks for waste material as poetic as the fort surrounded by the sea where the tragedy is resolved.François de Roubaix's extraordinary score enhances the scenes as few musicians can do.

The burial at sea is the most beautiful sequence of the sixties French cinema.I cannot think of a more haunting scene :anybody who has seen it never forgets it.Robert Enrico,who is not regarded as an "important" director in France has nothing to be jealous of his peers here.

A work to rival the best of Huston.

I just saw this film in Paris, on TV, in French. Although my French is bad and I didn't understand the dialogue, I loved it. It was easy to understand the relationships between the characters and their love of life, until something happened to change it. It cheered me up when I was very tired. I would love to see it with subtitles - will British TV show it? Alain Delon was irresistible and his co-stars equally good. I am no lover of 1960s movies, but I admit that I haven't explored enough French movies from this period. This experience has encouraged me to see more, if I get the chance. It lacked the "naff" dated quality that some 60s films have - pure class all the way.

I have seen this movie 40 years ago, and remembered quite well a few memorable scenes. It's been a pleasure to see it again on the European ARTE channel and to realize that it survived well the time. I enjoyed it again and not only for nostalgic reasons.

Alain Delon and Lino Ventura were 'monstres sacres' of the French cinema of the epoch. Delon was at the pick of his sex-appeal, and Ventura was always interesting enough to catch even the emotional interest of the girl in the film. They look painfully young here, but were fully achieved actors already.

The action story is quite standard, sure we have seen much better and thrilling since, but the quality of the film resides in the feeling of adventure it radiates, in the exquisite choice of many of the locations and in the sincerity and charm of the relation between the characters. There are a few more French films of the time that have a similar quality and memorable scenes of friendship which push them over the average conventional level of the commercial European cinema of the time. 'Adieu l'ami' also with Delon is another that comes now to my mind. These movies have still something to say to the cinema fans of today.

The film has many pleasures - a wonderful score, a barnstorming biplane, a funny car (with an even funnier-looking driver), a Paris art show, and a nifty fortress in the middle of the ocean. Alain Delon is always a pleasure to watch. He plays the arrogant, handsome daredevil with a heart of gold quite convincingly. His acting is always intense, even when he is doing very little. Lino Ventura is terrific as well, and he and Delon are a great pair. Upon reflection their relationship makes little sense (since we are given no history of the two) but it hardly matters when one is watching the film. The relationship between the two men and Laetitia (Joanna Shimkus)is a bit odd but sweet and believable. The locations are wide ranging (Paris, Africa, coastal France) and this film is full of exciting and droll scenes: The discovery of the sunken airplane is beautiful and scary; Roland and Manu walking out of the casino in their suave duds and getting into Roland's tow-truck is hilarious. The greatest pleasure of the film is that the narrative does not necessarily go where one would imagine it would. The version I saw was widescreen and the subtitles were mostly in the lower black of the letterboxing, which made them very easy to read. If you're in the mood for a little bit of action with a lot of good characterization and acting, check this one out.

PS: The French seem pretty hung up with threesomes, no?

Wholly enjoyable. Really liked the relationship between the characters, it was shot well and incredibly picturesque; the music is wonderful too. But, it suffers from "corny" dialogue and some rough pacing. But it is decent enough :)