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17 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :- Brilliant French gangster drama, 12 September 2002 Author: Mikew3001 (mikew4001@yahoo.de) from Hamburg, Germany
"Clan of the Sicilians" is a real French gangster movie classic from 1969 with three of the most important male actors of that time and genre - Lino Ventura as hard-boiled Parisian cop, Jean Gabin as a dominating Sicilian gangster clan "padre" and young Alain Delon as a hot-blooded, seducing robber. The whole movie is dominated by the great acting of these three characters, but with enough space left for a dark film noire atmosphere and a thrilling "big coup" plot. Henri Verneuil's direction is one of his best, and Ennio Morricone's seducing Mediterranean score is simply stunning, catchy and one of his best works of the sixties. Even after more than 30 years, this French crime classic is still fascinating, thrilling and a real pleasure to watch.
15 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :- Classic French gangster film with the three greatest stars : Gavin, Delon and Ventura, 5 November 2005 Author: ma-cortes from Santander Spain
Picture talks about a tough criminal convict -Alain Delon- who escapes and contacts with a Siciliens clan ruled by an intelligent old man - Jean Gabin - to prepare a spectacular heist ; then they're pursued by an obstinate Police Inspector - Lino Ventura - . Meanwhile the ex-con falls in love with a family member -Irina Demick-.Runtime film is overlong, however is neither tiring , nor boring but amusing as the suspense and thriller is continuous . From the beginning to the end , the action pace is fast movement and for that reason is entertaining. The movie has great loads of action, emotion, drama, tension and intrigue. Actors' interpretation is excellent . Alain Delon as cold and two-fisted delinquent is top notch . Jean Gavin as serious and clever paterfamilies is magnificent . Lino Ventura as stubborn Police Inspector is awesome. Irina Demick as attractive lover is enjoyable and enticing. Colorful and atmospheric cinematography by Henry Decae is simply riveting . Special mention to musical score by Ennio Morricone, it's sensible and extraordinary with a feeling leitmotif. The motion picture is well directed by Henri Verneuil. The film is considered a French classic movie and one of the biggest about hold-up/mobsters genre. The flick will appeal to French noir cinema buffs and Alain Delon fans . Rating : Above average. Outstanding and worthwhile watching.
13 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :- Classic European heist movie, 16 July 2002 Author: BillFenner1967 from Venice, Italy
This is a film that proves just how cool things were in the 1960s in Europe, particularly France and Italy. The ultra-cool Alain Delon (the French Steve McQueen) is truly superb as the loner hood, and with an excellent cast (including the legend Jean Gabin), thrilling story, stylish direction and yet another masterful score by Ennio Morricone, THE SICILIAN CLAN is a must-see for lovers of heist thrillers.
12 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :- Life Imitates Art, Seeing "The Sicilian Clan" In Queens, 11 September 1999 Author: gerrytwo from Queens, New York
I first saw "The Sicilian Clan" at the Mayfair theater in Fresh Meadows, in 1970. A Woody Allen movie was the main feature then, but I went to see "The Sicilian Clan," a great crime movie then and now. The Mayfair, then operated by the Weinstein brothers of Miramax fame, changed in 1974 from showing foreign and off-beat movies to X-rated movies, movies hard-core enough to get the new theater operator sent once to Rikers Island by the Queens DA. The Queens DA at the time, John Santucci, never bothered the wise guys portrayed in "Goodfellas," but then, Santucci never went to jail like his predecessor, former DA Thomas Mackell. In the glossy world of "The Sicilian Clan," the criminals are professionals who make money the old-fashioned way - they plan robberies. The picture starts with members of the Manalese family, arranging for the escape from custody of career criminal Roger Sartet (Alain Delon). Sartet is in big trouble, having killed two policeman during his capture, according to a comment later made by Lino Ventura's character, a tough cop. The escape from the police van is suspenseful, as is most of this movie. "The Sicilian Clan's" plot has the thieves take a hijacked jet to New York. Instead of landing at an airport in Queens, though, the jet lands on an unfinished highway. To show the attention to detail director Henri Verneuil took, as the jet rolls over a bridge, you briefly see dirt from the bridge supports fall down, from the weight of the landing jet. About eight years after I saw this movie, Queens mobsters using inside information robbed the high security vault of Lufthansa airlines at JFK Airport. That robbery and its aftermath are part of the plot of "Goodfellas." In "The Sicilian Clan" Sartet's character has inside information on the burglar alarm installation at the Villa Borghese, where a big jewelry exhibit is taking place. He uses this information to get Jean Gabin's character, the head of the family, involved in the robbery. Thinking it over, Queens in the 1970s was the most appropriate place to see a crime movie like "The Sicilian Clan." A French crime movie that in part imitated what was happening in Queens.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :- Rousing Crime Caper, 1 February 2006 Author: twopierces from Atlanta
This French jewel heist is always entertaining due to crisp direction by Henri Verneuil and a script that never takes the usual path. It's great seeing Jean Gabin play the sophisticated patriarch of a Sicilian crime family that plots to hijack an airliner with $50 million in jewels. Alain Delon is his usual moody, wild-man self as the cold-blooded killer who is being sought by the French police and is a constant threat to the upcoming heist. Lino Ventura is a standout as the droll police inspector who's trying to quit smoking while chasing Delon. Great 60's period score by Ennio Morricone. It's not available on DVD, but Fox Movie Channel plays it occasionally. Much more fun than "Le Cercle Rouge" which was recently released on DVD to much fanfare.
5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Classy crime flick, 12 September 2008 Author: Prof-Hieronymos-Grost from Ireland
Roger Sartet (Alain Delon) is a high profile career criminal who is top of the French police wanted list, so when he escapes from their custody for a second time under the nose of dogged cop L'inspecteur Le Goff (Lino Ventura), he goes immediately into hiding as the police try to locate him. Vittorio Manalese (Jean Gabin) a Sicilian born criminal and godfather of a mob style family, is the man who sprung him from police custody, he has long planned his retirement back in Sicily but is immediately interested in one last heist after hearing Sartet's plan for a big jewel heist in Rome. Together with some mobsters from New York, they set in motion a daring plan to steal the jewels while on route to the US. All goes well for Sartet until a child's indiscretion alters his fate for good.Entertaining enough crime flick, with some excellent set pieces and made with plenty of style, the funky main theme by Ennio Morricone being a highlight. All three legends of French cinema are excellent although none have enough screen time to truly rank in their best. Verneuill's direction is uber stylish, with some passing similarities to Leone in framing and tone, although some elements of the main heist are quite dated they are still quite fun. Its not a film for the pc brigade however as there is plenty of sexual denouement, Sartet's affair with the beautiful Jeanne Manalese (Irina Demick) producing one of cinemas most outrageous moments of sexual symbolism, its so absurd you just have to laugh.
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :- "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.", 13 September 2007 Author: Galina from Virginia, USA
As one of the IMDb reviewers said, "The best feature of this film is the fantastic sound track by the genius composer Ennio Morricone". Morricone's catchy, wistful, longing, mourning and absolutely mesmerizing score elevates this typical (in a good sense) French crime noir to even higher level. I first heard it couple of years ago when I bought Morricone's "Once Upon A Time: The Essential Ennio Morricone Film Music Collection", a double disc superb collection. Even among legendary Morricone's scores, the music for "Le Clan des Siciliens" stands alone. It created a mood that mixed suspense, melancholy, danger, and regrets, and it made me fell in love with the movie that I had not even seen. Since I heard the score for the first time, I tried to find the film and finally I purchased a Region Free, NTSC, widescreen DVD with French, English and Russian Audio tracks and English subtitles. The film looks gorgeous and I was pleased with the clean and clear DVD transfer. I have been a fan of French crime/heist/noir/mystery of 1960-1980 films for long time and to see three of my favorite actors (Alain Delon, Jean Gabin, and Lino Ventura) who had made many classics of the beloved genres acting in the same movie added to my excitement. All three are excellent, and one of the advantages of the new DVD was the chance to see the film in its original French and to hear the real voices of three screen legends. Nobody could be cooler than Delon as Roger Santet, a convicted murderer, ruthless, violent yet irresistibly and dangerously charming, a "beautiful destructive angel of the dark street". Lino Ventura is reliable and convincing as a chief of detective inspectors who had vowed to hunt Santet down. Aging Jean Gabin, one of the most beloved French actors with the wide acting range who could play successfully the characters as diverse as inspector Maigret and Pépé le Moko is wonderful as Vittorio Manalese, the father and "the Godfather" of the Sicilian Clan, the family which is tied by blood in more ways than one. Vittorio certainly lived by an old wisdom, "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer."
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :- Quirky and compelling heist flick, 14 July 2006 Author: Poseidon-3 from Cincinnati, OH
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Lots of caper films came out in the 60's, many of them quite good, and this one is no exception. Delon plays a detached, ice-cold thief who is facing jail time for two cop killings when he is rescued by Gabin and his family of larcenists. They want his expertise in helping them steal a large, very expensive jewelry collection. Gabin introduces him to his sizable family of a wife, two sons, a daughter, a son-in-law, a grandchild and a daughter-in-law (Demick) who seems instantaneously taken with Delon. Chaplin comes on board as an assistant for the big job. As the title clan puts their plan together, intrepid police inspector Ventura doggedly pursues the trail, turning up bits of evidence among such folks as drug addicts and pin-up photographers. Delon's sister (Blanguernon) also awaits word from him, her feet seemingly cemented to the floor in front of the cash register she operates at a coffee shop 24/7! Delon aggravates Gabin with his penchant for sneaking out of their compound and potentially ruining the scheme. When Gabin's old pal from America notes how virtually impossible the original plan is, Gabin opts to try an even riskier approach which involves hijacking a plane! Unfortunately, even if the plan goes well, a few missteps on Delon's part could wind up costing him Gabin's loyalty. There are more than a few fanciful escapades in this film, not the least of which is Delon's escape from custody at the start. Still, it's a staple of the genre for there to be extraordinary use of equipment and perilous close calls. The quirky nature of the script is accented by Morricone's music, which features a mouth harp twanging occasionally. Gabin, an important fixture of the French cinema, makes an imposing and powerful patriarch. Delon is well cast as the aimless scoundrel who fails to use good judgement. Ventura, another popular actor in France, is appropriately low-key and sober as he tracks down the gang while trying to avoid smoking. Demick, who Darryl F. Zanuck attempted to turn into a Hollywood star, is attractive and reasonably solid in her role. It's an interesting grab bag of sequences with a nice amount of action, suspense and good character work. Keeping with the French style, there are also a few dollops of nudity from one of Delon's bedmates and whomever doubled for Miss Demick on the beach (Delon also strips down to some dinky white briefs for a scene.)
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- A Near Classic, Top Notch Crime Drama, 19 September 2001 Author: Fareed from Toronto, Canada
Summary: A Near Classic, Top Notch Crime DramaIt might sound cliché, but I'm just going to use it and say it: "They just don't like that anymore". The Sicilian Clan truly deserves it and every second of the film is tightly acted and directed. We also have an absolutely magnificent soundtrack here courtesy of the Italian master composer Ennio Morricone which perfectly matches the mood and look of the film. Alain Delon, in one of his best performances, plays a master thief who gets hired by Jean Gabin for the occasion of pulling off a 50 million dollar jewel robbery. The jewelry is being shipped to a museum in New York by a passenger airplane and The Sicilian Clan want them all. The best way: hijack the plane! There is also a very good subplot involving Delon and the wife of the one of the Clan boys that runs along the way which is ultimately responsible for the film's very very satisfying finale. Beautifully shot in Panavision, the imagery is also great with lots of on location photography of the late 60's Paris. Sadly, this movie is not currently available on home video. It was theatrically released in North America by the 20th Century Fox and it grossed over $1 million dollars at the time which quite respectable. I don't know who currently has the rights to it but hopefully Anchor Bay will license and release it now that they have released another great one "Un Flic". Until then, I'm glad that at least I have a pan & scan copy I made from the cable.
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- THE PRICE OF LOVE., 24 July 2001 Author: doire from stockholm, sweden
WARNING**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*** I found this to be an interesting movie marred by unnecessary additional material. The Alain Delon character was never meant to be sympathised with by an audience and, indeed, part of his attraction was the loner aspect he radiated on screen - a careful loner, a suspicious loner, nobody´s fool, a feared double-cop killer in control of all his marbles. It is rather curious, therefore, that he should act so carelessly and foolishly in his dealings with the Sicilians. *SPOILERS* Getting intimately involved with one of the mobsters wives whilst planning and subsequently executing a major jewel heist was not a clever idea. And this is were I believe the movie failed. The heist was excellent, the chase conducted by the determined police-chief for Delon was as exciting as THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, and the movie would have been perfect had it ended when the hijacked airplane landed on the highway development outside New York. Instead, the message would appear to be that we can´t have organised crime succeeding with this kind of thing!. *SPOILERS* You would think that the Sicilian Clan, in cahoots with their American brethren, would have been ecstatic in pulling off 50 million dollar jewel robbery. But no, when Gabin´s character hears from his grandson that Delon´s character had been conducting an illicit association with his son´s wife, the priority would appear to be in getting Delon back to France to have him eliminated, thereby jeopardising everything. And so it proves. The price of love, or at least the price of adultury, would appear to be fifty million smackers. Still, an excellent film by a much undr-rated director.
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