3 hommes à abattre

"It isn't bad luck," hisses the lead villain. "It's incompetence!" In truth, what more can you say for a French film that sets out to emulate the very worst of Hollywood drivel and fails even at that? This atrociously-plotted thriller makes you appreciate the narrative finesse of Death Wish and Dirty Harry, while aging pretty boy Alain Delon (who also produced and co-wrote) is a sadly inadequate stand-in for Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood.

Delon plays a laconic gambler who rescues a dying man from a wrecked car. This turns out to be an assassination, not an accident - and Delon, as "the man who knew too much," becomes the killers' next target. This is frankly nonsensical, as Delon knows nothing about the conspiracy, and has never set eyes on the two assassins. Elsewhere, the same duo murder another man but leave his wife alive - even though she's an eye witness to the whole crime. And we're meant to believe they're afraid of getting caught?!

Still, it makes an excuse for two gay hit men with appalling 70s haircuts to chase Delon all over Paris. Given his fondness for such ghastly fashion no-no's as white socks with black trousers and black shoes, I could sympathies all too readily with their murderous intent! It all climaxes in the most ludicrous, ineptly-staged car chase you're ever likely to see - but at least Italian sex-bomb Dalila di Lazzaro adds a much-needed touch of glamour as Delon's girlfriend.

If this dreadful movie is of any use at all, it's for correcting the old stereotype that European Cinema Equals Art while Hollywood Cinema Equals Trash. True, the Americans may make more trash than the French...but at least they do it properly!

A previous reviewer has referred to Alain Delon as an ' ageing pretty boy'. Time stops for no one of course but it takes more than just a pretty face to maintain a film career as long as his. Joseph Losey, who directed him in 'Monsieur Klein', remarked on his complex nature. This and his air of unpredictability makes him watchable whatever his material. Now in his eighties I am sure he looks back with pride on the films he made with Visconti, Antonioni, Clement, Melville, Verneuil and Cavalier.

It is probably best to draw a discreet veil over many of his later films although he excelled as Mr. Klein, was awarded a well-deserved Cesar for 'Notre Histoire' and played both Baron de Charlus in 'Swann in Love' and the title role in 'Retour de Casanova' despite being physically miscast in both.

So we come to 'Three Men to Kill'! The Michel Gefaut of Delon narrowly escapes death at the hands of assassins working for an organisation that seems to think he knows more about its shady dealings than he should but the tables are turned when the hunted becomes the hunter....... By far the most interesting characters are as always, the villains, played here by veterans Michel Auclair and Pierre Dux, who made their respective film debuts in 1946 and 1932! Both these actors convey so much by doing so little and Dux is gifted the best line: "Art is an indispensable futility." Subject for debate!

It is also nice to see fellow veteran Simone Renant in her last film role, as Delon's mother. Good performance from Christian Barbier as his buddy on the force.

The love interest is supplied by Dalila di Lazzaro who is adequate in the role.

Good production values, subtle score, utterly ludicrous plot and a customary car chase that has been done so much better.

Delon has produced and it is capably directed by Jacques Deray with whom Delon made nine films, of varying quality.

One should not approach this film with too many expectations for it is what it is: cinematic chewing gum.

This amazing French action thriller is purely French to me. A bit different in the story from the novel it is inspired from and written by the amazing and late Jean-Patrick Manchette, but the overall "message" could have perfectly been written by Manchette. The tale of a normal man in struggle for his life against the shadow forces, sent and monitored by the State Reason; a typical French scheme. One of the best Jacques Deray's films where Alain Delon is at his peak. The ending is delicious, so nasty, bittersweet, in an anti Hollywood style. Yves Boisset could have perfectly made it. No problem. A must see.

I liked this, some negative comments on this board notwithstanding... I thought the action scenes were not bad for an 80s movie. It's obviously an attempt to make a Hollywood-style action flick. While there were probably better action/thriller flicks made in the 80s, I can think of many, many worse ones! Having seen it for the first time when I was 18, the high point quite obviously was Dalila Di Lazzaro's chest, a memorable scene… :) I bought a VHS copy on Ebay a few years ago, in German – that's all I could find.

What was the car he drove at the beginning of the movie, by the way? A Lancia Gamma.

As for the comment about Delon wearing white socks with black pants, that actually was considered somewhat fashionable in Europe of the 80s…. :)

A better- than- routine French crime flick, with Alain Delon as "the wrong man in the wrong place" getting accidentally mixed up with arms dealers.

Typically convincing effort from Delon, nice pessimistic atmosphere and strangely surprising ending make this one a treat for eurocrimi fans.

Includes some brief nudity and "unnecessarily" graphic violence for the viewers pleasure, too. Not a masterpiece, but entertaining, nevertheless...

Released on video in Finland in the early eighties.