Les Aventuriers (1967)
Directed by Robert Enrico

Film Review

Les Aventuriers was Robert Enrico's second adaptation of a José Giovanni novel - the first being Les Grandes gueules (1965).  It is a curious blend of romantic drama and '60s style film noir, starring two icons of French cinema, Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, who would subsequently appear together in the cult thriller Le Clan des Siciliens (1969).   The female lead is played by the comparatively unknown Canadian actress, Joanna Shimkus, who is perhaps best known for her mariage to the actor Sidney Poitier in 1976.

Whilst the film has some excellent production values, notably some beautiful location photography, its lethargic pace and pretty aimless narrative make it appear weak when compared with some of Enrico's other films.  Presumably the lack of dialogue and laidback, largely unstructured style of the first part of the film is intended to convey the sense of freedom enjoyed by the three main protagonists.  Unfortunately all it really does is to show how threadbare the narrative is, lacking in characterisation and driven by the most ludicrously implausible plot contrivances.

Delon and Ventura's solid contributions makes the film just about worth watching. The two actors work together surprisingly well, offering two contrasting yet complementary views of masculinity, each perfectly suited for the classic French policier.  Shimkus is attractive but fails to shine - not through lack of talent, but because her character is badly underwritten and unconvincing.  The other big name in the cast, Serge Reggiani, likewise fails to impress, for exactly the same reasons.

The film is probably best remembered for the sequences filmed in Fort Boyard, a military sea fortress built off the west coast of France (near to La Rochelle) in the early 19th century, at the command of Napolean Bonaparte.    When the film was made, the fort was in a state of serious dilapidation.  It was subsequently restored in the late 1980s to provide the venue for a popular French television game show which was named in its honour.

Film Synopsis

Whilst looking for materials for her next sculpture, Laetitia makes friends with Roland, a former racing driver, and Manu, a flying instructor.  All three suffers a cruel setback - Manu fails to win a bet, Roland manages to wreck his racing car and Laetitia's sculpture impresses no one.  They then hear about a plane that crashed into the sea off the coast of Africa some years ago, carrying a fortune in jewels.  Feeling that their luck has changed, the three friends set out to recover the lost treasure.  Unfortunately, they are not the only ones who know about the lost plane and its valuable cargo…