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Le Rapace
1968 Drama / Adventure
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Credits
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Director: José Giovanni
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Script: John Carrick (novel), José Giovanni
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Photo: Pierre Petit
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Music: François de Roubaix
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Cast: Lino Ventura (Le Rital),
Xavier Marc (Miguel Juarez,
dit Chico),
Enrique Lucero (El Bosco),
Rosa Furman (Camito),
Carlos López Figueroa (Ruiz) Marco Antonio Arzate,
René Barrera,
Augusto Benedico (Maitre Calvez),
Aurora Clavel (Emma),
Farnesio de Bernal (Le président)
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 105 min
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Aka: Birds of Prey
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Summary
In 1938, a hired killer named Le Rital arrives in a South American country to assassinate
an unpopular president. He is billeted with Miguel Juarez, grandson of the previous
president, an idealist who is to be credited with the assassination. Opposite them
is a splendid house in which the president’s mistress lives in luxury, flaunting her wealth
to the oppressed poor who surround her. After a long wait, during which Le Rital
and Miguel develop an uneasy friendship, the president arrives and his execution proceeds
as planned. However, as they make their escape, Le Rital and Miguel soon discover
that they have been duped…
Review
Le Rapace is the second film from screenwriter-turned-director
José Giovanni and rates easily as one of his best films. The film was shot
on location in Mexico, and consequently is both visual stunning in some sequences and
grimly realistic in others. Giovanni’s inexperience manifests itself in a few places
– some of the performances are painfully wooden, some attempts to be clever with the camera
fail spectacularly, and the hideous score gives the film the feel of a cheap spaghetti
western. Most off-putting are the film’s uneven tempo and the jarring mismatch between
the studio and location sequences in the first part of the film. Where the
film is strongest is in its portrayal of the relationship between a cynical killer – played
to perfection by the magnificent Lino Ventura – and a naïve idealistic revolutionary.
This provides a thoughtful reflection on the morality and politics of assassination, playing
to Giovanni’s strengths as a writer. After a mediocre first half, the film suddenly
seems to come to life, and the conclusion is as tense and gripping as in any action thriller,
with some masterfully directed shoot out sequences that combine the best of the classic
American western with traditional French film noir.
© James Travers 2007
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