O.S.S. 117 se déchaîne !

While "OSS 117 Se Dechaine" (a.k.a. "OSS 117 is Unleased") wasn't the first filmed adaptation of the literary hero created by writer Jean Bruce, it was the first to come out after the international success of the James Bond movie "Dr. No". Obviously, this movie was made with the intention of aping James Bond. However, if you are expecting this movie to be as hard hitting and action packed as a James Bond movie from the 1960s, you will probably be disappointed. There is more of a laid back attitude throughout instead of a feeling of tension or excitement. And there is very little action (though the few hand-to-hand combat sequences do pack some serious juice.) However, the movie is interesting that is portrays spying in a more realistic manner. There is always a feeling that whatever happens in this movie could very well have happened in real life. And while the movie does get slow at times, I personally was never bored, since the French perspective does add some charm and freshness. If you are looking for action, you better look elsewhere. But if you are tired of James Bond-style spy spoofing and want a more serious take on the subject of spying - and the idea of a French twist on the subject sounds interesting - the movie will keep you interested reasonably enough.

This film essentially begins with an American agent working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) by the name of "Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath" (Kerwin Mathews) being sent to Corsica to investigate the disappearance of another agent named "William Roos" (Jacques Harden) who had been investigating the presence of a secret Soviet submarine listening device in that area. Naturally, since he has very little information to go on the first person he seeks out is a man by the name of "Renotte" (Henri-Jacques Huet) who was the last person to see William Roos alive. However, sensing that Renotte isn't telling him the full truth he then turns his attention to his beautiful assistant "Brigitta" (Nadia Sanders) who seems much more open and honest. What he doesn't know, however, is that his presence has been monitored from the very start and there are certain people who will do whatever it takes to prevent him from discovering their clandestine operation. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film turned out to be a pretty good Eurospy movie in that it had an intricate plot and some good action scenes here and there to keep things interesting. Likewise, having a couple of beautiful actress like Irina Demick (as the Soviet agent "Lucia") along with the aforementioned Nadia Sanders certainly didn't hurt either. In any case, although some might not like the fact that it was filmed in French (with English subtitles) and produced in black and white, I enjoyed this film and have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

An American agent disappears after a scuba diving reconnaissance mission in Corsica. The Secret Service sends agent code name OSS 117 to investigate.

The first OSS 117 featuring Kerwin Matthews is a solid spy thriller with some cool location and underwater sequences - one would think it would be have been better if it was in colour but the monochrome amidst the jazzy score, the cobbles streets, and the intrigue unravelling lends an atmosphere of foreboding. The fight scenes were impressive, the sharp karate punches and some floor work, legs hooking over neck ... the plot just glides and the characters are interesting. Matthew's has a cool presence, is smooth and thinks on his feet and his one liners are well delivered, especially towards the ladies. I like the fact he's not a bull in a China shop.

Comparisons to Bond are going to be inevitable, but I feel this film is more like Danger Man; for one, Agent Hubert has no gadgets, relies on his fists and wits, and no one recognises him by the drink he takes or whether he likes it shaken or stirred or the gun he uses. The spying here is more realistic, though not to the point of being dull and talky. A blend of action and spying is done well. Definitely the best OSS 117 I have seen so far ( I have seen the John Gavin one and the other Kerwin Matthews set in Thailand) ...

This film has a lighter, wittier touch than many Euro-spy pictures of the 1960's. Yes, plenty of bad guys bite the dust, but the mood is not grim. Our male lead has a good amount of charm and a sense of humor. And he's quite handsome. A big plus for this film, in my view, is that it convey a very French sense of gallantry and sophisticated flirting. Nadine Sanders, our leading lady here, is simply a knockout! Tall--very tall--with masses of blonde hair, model-slender, and with a wonderfully aristocratic, refined beauty; one wishes she had starred in a lot more films. Some reviewers suggest the pace is slow. I did not find it so. The movie held my interest throughout and never dragged. The story allows a real relationship to develop between the two leads, which is a huge asset. Also--I'm American, and watched it on dvd with subtitles; that worked fine. I'd say, if you like Euro-spy, give this one a try. I think you'll like it.

Oss 117 Se Dechaine was the first movie made about Jean Bruce's secret agent character, Hubert Bonisseur De la Bath, a French CIA agent.

I was an avid reader of Bruce's books and was very satisfied this first movie was such a faithful adaptation of one of his novels; actually, the movie was a combination of two novels, but remained very faithful to the story and characters, much the way From Russia With Love was faithful to Ian Fleming's book (to a point.) The later movies, Banco a Bangkok and Furia a Bahia, though retaining the author's original titles, did not remain faithful to the stories and diverged the way later James Bond movies diverged from their original book titles.