Claude Sautet was only an assistant director when he was conscripted to direct Classe tous Risques (Consider All Risks), the highly entertaining French "gangster" flick, released back in 1960. It was obvious that Sautet already was quite knowledgeable when it came to directing, as evidenced by the entire "look" of the film, filmed on location in both Italy and France, with smart pacing throughout.
For the lead role, Sautet chose Lino Ventura, an Italian born French actor, known for taking on gangster or detective roles during his heyday. Ventura plays French gangster Abel Davos, based on a character from the novel of the same name by a French criminal turned novelist, José Giovanni. When we first meet Abel, he's in Milan, Italy, along with his wife Thérèse (Simone France) and their two young children, pulling off a heist of couriers carrying cash, with an accomplice Raymond (Stan Krol).
The narrative immediately garners your attention as it chronicles how Abel and Raymond elude checkpoints in stolen vehicles, in an attempt to reach Paris. In a shocking scene, Raymond and Thérèse are killed during a shootout with customs officers and Abel is left to fend for himself along with the two kids. Despite being an extremely hardened criminal, Abel's relationship with his kids reveals that he has a softer side, making him more than a one or two dimensional character.
The story continues to get interesting when Abel contacts old confederates, Riton (a bar owner) and Fargier (a hotel owner), who send Stark, a young "lone wolf" played by the famed Jean-Paul Belmondo, to pick the three up. Stark drives an old ambulance purchased by Abel's old pals and picks up Abel and the kids and drives them back to Paris. Along the way, Stark saves Liliane (Sandra Milo), a young actress, who is being beaten by her manager on the side of the road they are traveling on. Liliane becomes the "love interest" here as Stark gets involved with her once the group arrives back in Paris.
If there is a weakness in the narrative here, it's clearly the part of Stark. Originally, the role was supposed to be played by someone older but the producers and director were so enamored with Belmondo, that he got the part. The character somehow develops an allegiance to Abel and in the end takes two police bullets to his legs, in an attempt to save his friend from being captured. Why he goes out of his way to stick up for Abel isn't entirely clear (as Stark explains it, he was an associate of Raymond, Abel's accomplice who was killed in the earlier police shootout). Nonetheless Stark is merely a glorified gopher with a heart of gold, chiefly there to ramp up the love interest between him and Liliane the actress.
The second half of the film proves to be just as exciting as the first. We learn the fate of Abel's children, who find refuge with an old family friend of the beleaguered gangster. And then there's Abel with his "last job," robbing a past acquaintance, Gibelin, a jeweler, of hard-earned cash. When Gibelin contacts Abel's old pals Riton and Fargier, they all end up hiring a private detective to discover Abel's whereabouts. Stark roughs up the private detective and Abel learns of the plot to find him; noting the betrayal by his old pals, this leads him to take revenge on Gibelin and Fargier in brutal fashion (Fargier's wife also dies from the shock of her husband's murder).
Classe tous Risques serves as a cautionary tale for any wannabee gangsters, with the simple message that "crime doesn't pay." Ventura carries the film as the hardened Abel, completely convincing in his campaign of terror. Despite Belmondo's role as the criminal with a "heart of gold," the actor's natural charm is constantly on display. Only the tacked on epilogue fails to impress: a narrator simply indicates that Abel was caught and executed (despite the film's exciting on location visuals, here Sauter resorts to a plain as day narrator, with no suspense shown in Abel's apprehension).
Now a cult classic, Classe tous Risques has become the inspiration for such luminaries as Martin Scorsese. It's a neo-noir well worth watching!
For the lead role, Sautet chose Lino Ventura, an Italian born French actor, known for taking on gangster or detective roles during his heyday. Ventura plays French gangster Abel Davos, based on a character from the novel of the same name by a French criminal turned novelist, José Giovanni. When we first meet Abel, he's in Milan, Italy, along with his wife Thérèse (Simone France) and their two young children, pulling off a heist of couriers carrying cash, with an accomplice Raymond (Stan Krol).
The narrative immediately garners your attention as it chronicles how Abel and Raymond elude checkpoints in stolen vehicles, in an attempt to reach Paris. In a shocking scene, Raymond and Thérèse are killed during a shootout with customs officers and Abel is left to fend for himself along with the two kids. Despite being an extremely hardened criminal, Abel's relationship with his kids reveals that he has a softer side, making him more than a one or two dimensional character.
The story continues to get interesting when Abel contacts old confederates, Riton (a bar owner) and Fargier (a hotel owner), who send Stark, a young "lone wolf" played by the famed Jean-Paul Belmondo, to pick the three up. Stark drives an old ambulance purchased by Abel's old pals and picks up Abel and the kids and drives them back to Paris. Along the way, Stark saves Liliane (Sandra Milo), a young actress, who is being beaten by her manager on the side of the road they are traveling on. Liliane becomes the "love interest" here as Stark gets involved with her once the group arrives back in Paris.
If there is a weakness in the narrative here, it's clearly the part of Stark. Originally, the role was supposed to be played by someone older but the producers and director were so enamored with Belmondo, that he got the part. The character somehow develops an allegiance to Abel and in the end takes two police bullets to his legs, in an attempt to save his friend from being captured. Why he goes out of his way to stick up for Abel isn't entirely clear (as Stark explains it, he was an associate of Raymond, Abel's accomplice who was killed in the earlier police shootout). Nonetheless Stark is merely a glorified gopher with a heart of gold, chiefly there to ramp up the love interest between him and Liliane the actress.
The second half of the film proves to be just as exciting as the first. We learn the fate of Abel's children, who find refuge with an old family friend of the beleaguered gangster. And then there's Abel with his "last job," robbing a past acquaintance, Gibelin, a jeweler, of hard-earned cash. When Gibelin contacts Abel's old pals Riton and Fargier, they all end up hiring a private detective to discover Abel's whereabouts. Stark roughs up the private detective and Abel learns of the plot to find him; noting the betrayal by his old pals, this leads him to take revenge on Gibelin and Fargier in brutal fashion (Fargier's wife also dies from the shock of her husband's murder).
Classe tous Risques serves as a cautionary tale for any wannabee gangsters, with the simple message that "crime doesn't pay." Ventura carries the film as the hardened Abel, completely convincing in his campaign of terror. Despite Belmondo's role as the criminal with a "heart of gold," the actor's natural charm is constantly on display. Only the tacked on epilogue fails to impress: a narrator simply indicates that Abel was caught and executed (despite the film's exciting on location visuals, here Sauter resorts to a plain as day narrator, with no suspense shown in Abel's apprehension).
Now a cult classic, Classe tous Risques has become the inspiration for such luminaries as Martin Scorsese. It's a neo-noir well worth watching!