This is a José Giovanni's film which I search since forty years; never aired on TV channels, or maybe ONCE in the seventies and I am not sure, and never released on VHS nor DVD, only in theaters in 1971. Maybe a copyright issue, we never know with so complicated matters. You have some French films in this case, but I could understand why, because of the unknown directors or actors. Even LA TRAQUE, was at least aired once or twice during the early eighties. This one, no. So, useless to say that I am more than pleased to, at last, see and comment it. This is not a masterpiece, for instance I preferred LA LOI DU SURVIVANT, adapted from his own - Giovanni- novel, or LES LOUPS ENTRE EUX, LE GITAN, LA SCOUMOUNE, also from his books and directed by him, but this one is worth watching, even if you are a fan of the French Samuel Fuller: writer, novelist, screen writer, and director of his own stuff. Remember SHOCK CORRIDOR, DEAD PIGEON ON BEETHOVEN STRASSE, BIG RED ONE, where great Sam was novelist and director. Not so usual. Sorry for those details but it was important to present José Giovanni, who, as Fuller, was a tough and rough adventure man, who suffered much in his lite time; he knew what he talked about. This very film is adapted from a Bill Reade's novel, which I appreciated more than this film. I have not an enough good memory to remember every detail of the novel to analyse deep enough. In this movie, you have the great opportunity to hear one more François de Roubaix's music, so typical of this too soon disappeared composer. The score brings mainly of the whole atmosphere of the film; this helps a lot, believe me. De Roubaix was a accomplice of Robert Enrico - who could have made this film, so close to his usual topics - and Giovanni too: LES AVENTURIERS, LA SCOUMOUNE, DERNIER DOMICILE CONNU, HO (from a Giovanni's book and adapted by Enrico), UN ALLER SIMPLE, BOULEVARD DU RHUM, LE VIEUX FUSIL, the two lasts made by Enrico. And I forgot LES GRANDES GUEULES, the most know of Giovanni's novel and, as you can guess, adapted by Enrico. You find in this feature many things important to Giovanni, and that you'll find in other films from him or Enrico's: mountain settings and climbing, political matters, fight for freedom, combat against tyranny - don't forget Giovanni was condemned to death after the war and released by the French president. See for instance DEUX HOMMES DANS LA VILLE or UN ALLER SIMPLE, also movies denouncing injustice. But Giovanni is not Costa Gavras.
