Title of Filme Noire: Platinum Heist

Sep 07, 2013 16 Replies

Can anyone tell me the title of a French film with English subtitles that I saw on British TV around 1970 give or take about 5 years.



It's a crime film, and (I think towards the end of it) the criminals hijacked a security van containing platinum in hilly/mountainous countryside.



It's not, as I had previously been led to believe, "Le Deuxieme Souffle" ("Second Wind"), based on Jose Giovanni's story "Un Reglement Des Comptes" ("A Settling Of Accounts"). Or at least it's not the



2007 version, which I have recently watched; I haven't seen the 1966 version since around the time in question, but that too seems to be a different story, though very possibly from the same author:

formatting link


Any of these?

formatting link

There's an advanced search you can fiddle around with here:

formatting link

Did it involve angle grinders?

Not as far as I can tell from any of the synopses and reviews.

"Most Popular French-Language Film-Noir-Crime Titles Released 1960 to

1980 With Plot Matching "platinum heist robbery armoured vehicle" and Country of Origin France

No results."

Google was useless as well :-(

No idea, sorry. There are many of his films described, but none of them show up for 'platinum'!

Good Luck anyway.

formatting link
Any good?

1966 version here
formatting link

We'll forgive you. ;-)

There are message boards on IMDB and similar sites for movie buffs; have you tried there?

formatting link

Let us know if you find it please.

Once a Thief?

formatting link

It's not in French but has a French star and this ...

formatting link

... confirms it's about platinum theft.

Do you remember who was in it? I used to love French Gangster Movies where everyone died in the final shoot out. Alain Delon was often in ones like that. Derek

I now think it's the 1966 version of "Le Deuxieme Souffle" directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. There are one or two tenuous pieces of evidence to support this:

+ I remember people being shot in the back of fast moving cars, and this happens also in the 2007 version. + This paragraph is from an essay on the film.

formatting link

"Like many of Melville?s films, Le deuxième souffle pivots on a dazzling set piece that relies upon these qualities of observation, varied perspectives, and an almost documentary-like rendering of actions. This central heist sequence is a study in contrast. Whereas most of the film is defined by its cramped and dank interiors, or the minimalist gaudiness of some apartment and nightclub settings, the heist is staged in a vast, windswept, and elemental environment that almost seems to visibly shock the gang."

+ This still from the DVD seems to be from the start of the heist, picking off the motorcycle outriders.

formatting link

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required