3 MEN TO KILL/ TROIS HOMMES A ABATTRE


France, 1980, 89 minutes, Colour.
Alain Delon, Dalila di Lazzaro, Michel Auclair, Jean- Pierre Darras.
Directed by Jacques Deray.

Alain Delon was a heartthrob leading man in French cinema, also appearing in some classic Italian films as well as going to Hollywood. Many of his films in the 1970s were gangster films and a number of them were directed by Jacques Deray, including The Swimming Pool and Borsalino.

This is a rather brief film, but very effective in its way, taking the audience into the world of international big business, deals, swindles, weapons, French security. It also involves a number of murders of executives in a company.

By chance, an ordinary citizen played by Alain Delon comes across a car accident and takes the victim to hospital. He has been murdered and the assassins as well as their bosses in the company assume that the ordinary citizen is a professional killer and most of the film consists of their attempts to kill him. The more he eludes capture, even killing some of the assassins, the greater the presumption that he is a professional.

There is a romance. He is also a professional poker player. There are scenes in the city, at a seaside resort and an elaborate car chase.

The ending is definitely not what might be expected.

1. An interesting French thriller? Different?

2. The French city, apartments, the streets? Business offices, wealthy apartments? The coast, the restaurant, the shops, the beaches? The action and the car chases? Shootouts? The musical score?

3. The initial discussions, the demonstrations of the weapons, deadly? Deals? The owner of the company, his spurning of the delegates? His three associates? The accident on the road, assassinations, the father in the car? The assumption that a rival company was responsible? The revelation that the owner was responsible, his fear of exposure, his spurning of these associates?

4. Leprince, his dealings with the owner, subservient, Herve as his hitman? The discussions, theories about the photo? The killing of the assessments? His trying to deal with Gerfaut, misunderstanding him? The ultimate killing?

5. Gerfaut driver, a gambler and seeing him at poker, his background, service, companies, wealth, opting out? His relationship with Bea, visiting her, taking her to the coast, to meet his mother, the meal? At the beach?

6. The accident, Gerfaut stopping at the car, the assassins watching, taking the wounded man to the hospital? Not registering? The assassins and their trying to drown him in the surf? Going to his policeman friend, their going to the house, the policeman being shot through the door? Gerfaut, leaving in his car, the pursuit by the killers, the service station, the explosion, the shootings?

7. Bea, coming to an apartment, the inspector present, the irony of his links with Leprince? Her going to the apartment, the threats, her phone call, going to be with his mother?

8. Going to the nephew of the murdered man, the apartment, the visitor threatening, at the cafe, the setup, the man taking Gerfaut to the boss, the man being shot?

9. The owner, his presumption that Gerfaut was a professional, attempting to do a deal with him, not realising that Gerfaut was an ordinary man? Heart attack? Leprince taking over?

10. Gerfaut, with Bea, wary about being followed, being taken, killed?

11. The unexpected ending and its effect?