The Sicilian Clan [DVD]

And the award for most outrageous sexual symbolism of 1969 goes to Alain Delon, for his performance battering an eel to death on a rock after catching a glimpse of Irina Demick's body double nude sunbathing in The Sicilian Clan...Despite the title, this 1969 flic et voyou flick is definitely NOT a mob movie: the clan are a family of Sicilian crooks in France headed by Jean Gabin who spring Alain Delon from jail for a massive jewel robbery, with Lino Ventura's dogged cop on the trail. Based on a novel by Rififi author Auguste le Breton, there's little that's original (although the heist itself is spectacularly ingenious), but it's put together with polish and style and makes for an entertaining couple of hours. Henry Verneuil's direction raises the standard, while Delon, Ventura and Irina Demick offer good value. The once-great Gabin fares less well - although it's nice to see him reunited with his Touchez Pas le Grisbi nemesis Ventura in a couple of scenes, for much of the film he's more of an immoveable monument than much of a presence, only really coming across in his final scene, which taps in nicely to the resigned fatalism of his pre-war classics.It's not an all-time great, but it is an entertaining and atmospheric French thriller that nicely fills a couple of hours.Fox's DVD boasts good 2.35:1 widescreen transfer of the English-language version (the film was shot in French, Italian and English-language versions rather than simply dubbed, though Delon is the only major cast member to use his own voice in both versions) and includes the US trailer. For years only available with English subtitles as a Korean import, you can now get both the French version with English subtitles and the English-language version on Fox's region-free French/German/Italian Blu-ray releases, which offers fine transfers, a documentary on the making of the film, an interview about the film with the director of Pour Elle, Point Blank and Mea Culpa Fred Cavaye, archive interviews with the cast (an Easter Egg to be found by pressing right on the extras menu) and, on the accompanying DVD only, the French and US trailers for the film - and, unusually, the extras are also subtitled in English. While the German and Italian releases come in a standard plastic jewel case, the initial French copies came in a digibook with booklet in French only though the subsequent pressing was a standard jewel case.

Despite the title, this 1969 flic et voyou flick is definitely NOT a mob movie: the clan are a family of Sicilian crooks in France headed by Jean Gabin who spring Alain Delon from jail for a massive jewel robbery, with Lino Ventura's dogged cop on the trail. Based on a novel by Rififi author Auguste le Breton, there's little that's original (although the heist itself is spectacularly ingenious), but it's put together with polish and style and makes for an entertaining couple of hours. Henry Verneuil's direction raises the standard, while Delon, Ventura and Irina Demick offer good value. The once-great Gabin fares less well - although it's nice to see him reunited with his Touchez Pas le Grisbi nemesis Ventura in a couple of scenes, for much of the film he's more of an immoveable monument than much of a presence, only really coming across in his final scene, which taps in nicely to the resigned fatalism of his pre-war classics.There's a lot wrong with the video - it's from the days when dubbed panned and scanned versions of Scope foreign films were the norm rather than the exception, while at one point on my copy the theme tune from M*A*S*H bled through on the soundtrack to attack Ennio Morricone's score (could Fox be copying over old unsold tapes?). While Henri Decae's great photography does suffer, especially in the split-screen title sequence, at least Delon dubs himself (indeed, his sequences actually appear to have been shot in English). However, until someone decides this merits a widescreen subtitled release on DVD (it's only available unsubtitled in France), this tape is worth a shot, especially at a budget price.It's not an all-time great, but it is an entertaining and atmospheric French thriller that nicely fills a couple of hours.

Ghastly. Appallingly made, drearily scripted, utter tosh, just goes through the motions. Avoid.

SEE Jean Gabin as Manalese, leader of The Sicilian Clan!SEE Alain Delon as Roger Sartet, a thief hired by The Sicilian Clan!SEE Alain Delon's suspensful escape from police custody!SEE Lino Ventura as Chief Inspector Le Goff, hunting Alain Delon!SEE Lino Ventura try to give up smoking!SEE Irina Demick sunbathing while Alain Delon is fishing!SEE Sydney Chaplin as an American gangster!SEE The Sicilian Clan engineer an AMAZING $50 million jewel heist!HEAR French coppers with American accents! :DHEAR Alain Delon speak English using his own voice!********THRILL to the groovy music of Ennio Morricone conducted by Bruno Nicolai! Based on the novel by Auguste Le Breton Twentieth Century-Fox STEREO Deluxe COLOR and PANAVISION!

A superb film with a superb cast - 3 of the great French actors - Gabin, Delon and Ventura - and its good to see them together in one film.Gabin gets Delon released from prison ( in an unusual way) to do a diamond heist for him, on a plane.Ventura, unusually, plays the policeman trying to sort it all out.Delon makes the mistake of romancing Gabin's son-in- law's wife, so his days are numbered.One of those hard-edged gangster films that the French are so good at - no soft-centres or happy endings .

It was a present I haven't seen it but the person I bought it for was delighted with it

IT WAS THE FIRST FILM THAT I SAW AT THE CINEMA, AND I HAD BEEN SURPRISED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE 3 "MONSTERS" LIKE ALAIN DELON, JEAN GABIN AND LINO VENTURA. ALSO, THE MUSIC AND THE STORY LINE OF THE FILM WERE SO GOOD, THAT MADE ME FEEL SATISFIED.I BEG YOUR PARDON, BY MY SPEECH, BUT I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND ME. THANKS YOU

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