Typical hold-up movie including some elements from noir cinema , especially the starring , a gorgeous Femme Fatal , and with terrific performances by a plethora of nice actors . It contains suspense , action , sharp-edged thrilling scenes and excellent interpretations . It deals with a gang of robbers formed by an expert thief (Alberto De Mendoza) , his wonderful girlfriend (Claudine Auger) and a young man (George Hamilton) grabbing an armored truck . But when they are pursued by a stubborn Police Inspector (Manuel De Blas) the thrilling things go awry , though the young man gets a gun , takes a million in gold and a beautiful girl .
This is a suspenseful heist movie in which intrigue , plot twists and thriller are continued . From the beginning to the end it turns out to intriguing , including well developing of interesting characters , and that's why it is entertaining . The movie has great loads of emotion , dark-edged drama , thrills and moving events . Starred by some unsettling characters damned to inevitable tragedies , powerful finale , stylized set pieces heighten the suspense and tension have place in all Jose Giovanni's screenplay . The picture displays usual elements noir cinema like the fatalism and tragic fate , loser characters , a magnificent photography and the ¨Femme Fatale¨ marvellously incarnated by an avaricious Claudine Auger , she's the first among equals from an extraordinary cast . Furthermore , good secondary actors such as : Alberto De Mendoza , Daniel Ivernel , Manuel de Blas , and George Rigaud .
The motion picture was well produced by Claude Giroux , based on a novel by Robert Page Jones and being compellingly written by Jose Giovanni , a prestigious French writer-director of commercially successful crime thrillers , including exciting heists . His novel, "Le Trou," ("The hole", slang for prison) , which became a classic film , was based on his own escape attempt from a Paris prison , as director Jacques Becker bought the rights of the book and directed it in 1959 , considered to be the best prison movie . José became a well-known dialoguist , scenarist too , working many times with Jacques Deray . Then he directed his first movie in 1966 , "La Loi Des Survivants" , while he was still writing novels about gangsters , cops , prison and manly friendship . Some of his films , many are based from his own novels , include Le Rapace (1968), La Scoumoune (1972) , The gypsy (1975) , Boomerang (1976) , and Le Ruffian (1983).
Colorful and evocative cinematography by Henry Raichi , being shot in Almería , Andalucía , Spain , Lisbon , Portugal and Tetuán , Marrakech , Morrocco . This entertaining and acceptable caper movie was well directed by Jacques Deray , making a memorable work , though sometimes results to be slow-moving . He was a purveyor of a certain kind of noir movie , creating a tiny studio . Jacques began as an actor in his late teens and from 1952 worked as assistant to several noted directors , including Luis Bunuel and Jules Dassin . He was President of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981 . One of his favourite actors was Alain Delon , whom Jacques directed many times . He made his first film in 1960 and Jacques directed some great French actors as Alain Delon , Jean-Louis Trintignant , Michael Serrault , Charlote Rampling and Jean-Paul Belmondo . Deray was a notorious director and writer , known for Borsalino (1970) , The Outside Man or A man is dead (1972) , Flic Story (75) , Le gang (77) , Three Men to Kill (80) , Le Marginal (1983) , He Died with His Eyes Open (85) and The Loner (87) . Being his greatest hit : La Piscine (1969).
