I just saw this film in Paris, on TV, in French. Although my French is bad and I didn't understand the dialogue, I loved it. It was easy to understand the relationships between the characters and their love of life, until something happened to change it. It cheered me up when I was very tired. I would love to see it with subtitles - will British TV show it? Alain Delon was irresistible and his co-stars equally good. I am no lover of 1960s movies, but I admit that I haven't explored enough French movies from this period. This experience has encouraged me to see more, if I get the chance. It lacked the "naff" dated quality that some 60s films have - pure class all the way.
32 Reviews
Very good movie about a trio of sympathetic characters become involved to rescue a sunk treasure in Africa
ma-cortes11 December 2013
This interesting as well as intimate story is a passionate retelling and a touching drama about three friends , two men an a woman ; all of them develop a wonderful friendship . This top-drawer motion picture mingles tenderness , drama , warm humor , emotion and sensibility . It deals with two adventurers and best friends, Roland (Lino Ventura , fetish actor of filmmaker Robert Enrico) , a Grand Prix driver, and Manu (Alain Delon) , a daredevil pilot . Manu is victim of a joke that costs him his pilot's license . The agreeable duo meets Alicia (Joanna Shimkus who subsequently married Sidney Poitier) , a sensitive sculptor who dreams of buying an old fort in Charente-Maritime . With seeming contrition , the jokers tell Roland and Manu about a crashed aircraft lying on the ocean floor off the coast of Congo stuffed with jewels and other riches . The Congo journey results to be a treason , they are double-crossed by the pilot (Serge Reggniani) of the crashed plane and the adventurers must pick up the pieces . Later on , they carry out a voyage to Boyardville , Île d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime, and its island : ¨Fort Boyard¨, (France) , where takes place several adventures and risks . There they are pitted against a pack of human sharks (Guy Delorme , Hand Meyer among others) in a tragic ending .
This exciting film contains romantic elements , brooding drama , intrigue , tragic events and thrills especially on its final part . It packs lingering images in which are narrated the lovely relationship between the amiable Alain Delon and Lino Ventura along with the gorgeous Joanna Simkus , as the three adventurers set off to find a sunk loot . This timeless movie displays haunting and powerful scenes , it's plenty of frames which stay forever in the mind . Romantic thriller that deals with a particular buddy movie between Lino Ventura and Alain Delon , a special relationship among two different characters along with the enticing Joanna Shimkus , turning into a beloved friendship and a marvelous love story . Top notch performance from protagonist trio , Lino Ventura as the tough as well as sensible driver , Alain Delon as a valiant pilot and special mention to Joanna Shimkus as Laetitia , an artistic young woman who treats them like brothers . Lively musical score by Francois Roubaix is enjoyable and cheerful , full of piano sounds and whistles , including catching leitmotif . Colorful and shimmer cinematography filmed on location in Boyardville, Île d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime, and Fort Boyard, Charente France .
The motion picture was stunningly written and directed by Robert Enrico , being based on an excellent novel by Jose Giovanni , a notorious writer and filmmaker . Enrico started directing short movies , as his shorts gave him critical acclaim very early in his career. Having become the maker of popular movies after an arty debut, he was awarded the best movie "César" for "Le vieux Fusil" or ¨Old gun¨ before becoming the long-time president of "L'Académie des Césars". He was a good professional who directed interesting films as ¨Jailsbird vacation¨ , ¨Le secret¨ ,¨Rum Runners¨, ¨The wise guys¨ , ¨An occurrence at Owl Creek¨ and his masterpiece ¨The adventurers¨ . Rating : 7,5 , better than average. Worthwhile watching . The film will appeal to French cinema lovers .
This exciting film contains romantic elements , brooding drama , intrigue , tragic events and thrills especially on its final part . It packs lingering images in which are narrated the lovely relationship between the amiable Alain Delon and Lino Ventura along with the gorgeous Joanna Simkus , as the three adventurers set off to find a sunk loot . This timeless movie displays haunting and powerful scenes , it's plenty of frames which stay forever in the mind . Romantic thriller that deals with a particular buddy movie between Lino Ventura and Alain Delon , a special relationship among two different characters along with the enticing Joanna Shimkus , turning into a beloved friendship and a marvelous love story . Top notch performance from protagonist trio , Lino Ventura as the tough as well as sensible driver , Alain Delon as a valiant pilot and special mention to Joanna Shimkus as Laetitia , an artistic young woman who treats them like brothers . Lively musical score by Francois Roubaix is enjoyable and cheerful , full of piano sounds and whistles , including catching leitmotif . Colorful and shimmer cinematography filmed on location in Boyardville, Île d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime, and Fort Boyard, Charente France .
The motion picture was stunningly written and directed by Robert Enrico , being based on an excellent novel by Jose Giovanni , a notorious writer and filmmaker . Enrico started directing short movies , as his shorts gave him critical acclaim very early in his career. Having become the maker of popular movies after an arty debut, he was awarded the best movie "César" for "Le vieux Fusil" or ¨Old gun¨ before becoming the long-time president of "L'Académie des Césars". He was a good professional who directed interesting films as ¨Jailsbird vacation¨ , ¨Le secret¨ ,¨Rum Runners¨, ¨The wise guys¨ , ¨An occurrence at Owl Creek¨ and his masterpiece ¨The adventurers¨ . Rating : 7,5 , better than average. Worthwhile watching . The film will appeal to French cinema lovers .
a film that survives well the 40 years
dromasca4 March 2007
I have seen this movie 40 years ago, and remembered quite well a few memorable scenes. It's been a pleasure to see it again on the European ARTE channel and to realize that it survived well the time. I enjoyed it again and not only for nostalgic reasons.
Alain Delon and Lino Ventura were 'monstres sacres' of the French cinema of the epoch. Delon was at the pick of his sex-appeal, and Ventura was always interesting enough to catch even the emotional interest of the girl in the film. They look painfully young here, but were fully achieved actors already.
The action story is quite standard, sure we have seen much better and thrilling since, but the quality of the film resides in the feeling of adventure it radiates, in the exquisite choice of many of the locations and in the sincerity and charm of the relation between the characters. There are a few more French films of the time that have a similar quality and memorable scenes of friendship which push them over the average conventional level of the commercial European cinema of the time. 'Adieu l'ami' also with Delon is another that comes now to my mind. These movies have still something to say to the cinema fans of today.
Alain Delon and Lino Ventura were 'monstres sacres' of the French cinema of the epoch. Delon was at the pick of his sex-appeal, and Ventura was always interesting enough to catch even the emotional interest of the girl in the film. They look painfully young here, but were fully achieved actors already.
The action story is quite standard, sure we have seen much better and thrilling since, but the quality of the film resides in the feeling of adventure it radiates, in the exquisite choice of many of the locations and in the sincerity and charm of the relation between the characters. There are a few more French films of the time that have a similar quality and memorable scenes of friendship which push them over the average conventional level of the commercial European cinema of the time. 'Adieu l'ami' also with Delon is another that comes now to my mind. These movies have still something to say to the cinema fans of today.
a bit of paradise while in Viet-Nam
deadnurse31 January 2003
I saw this movie in Viet Nam in the open air. It impressed me because of the beautiful scenery, photography and story line. I followed this picture from compound to compound and saw it several times . It was an island, a bit of paradise in an otherwise brutal setting. I will never forget this movie even though I have not seen it in over 30 years.
Enjoyable, but not exactly all that special.
exzanya26 November 2020
Wholly enjoyable. Really liked the relationship between the characters, it was shot well and incredibly picturesque; the music is wonderful too. But, it suffers from "corny" dialogue and some rough pacing. But it is decent enough :)
A LOST GEM
marcosaguado20 April 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Perhaps one of the most lyrical adventure movies ever made. How can it be impossible to find it in DVD or even on video? It is a film to visit and revisit. Alain Delon in one of his most human performances, Lino Ventura at his very best and Joanna Shikmus (Mrs. Sidney Poitier) is unforgettable. Her burial at sea scene has stayed with me, always. This film is ripe for a revival. I'm sure that a modern international audience would embrace it and put it where it rightly belongs, as one of the best films of its kind.
some classical treasure-hunting
myriamlenys25 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Two stuntmen and all-round daredevils (one young, the other middle-aged) grow close to a struggling young sculptress of the "blowtorch and scrap-metal" variety. When all three run into a series of professional and financial disappointments, they decide to travel to Africa, spurred on by tales of a lost airplane wreck. It is whispered that the very last passenger on board of the airplane was an extremely rich Belgian who tried to flee the Congo while carrying his most prized possessions...
My expectations for the movie were very high, mainly because I expected fireworks from the Ventura-Delon combination. Sadly, both actors failed to draw great sparks off each other. This, however, is not a bad movie : it's a professionally made adventure movie with decent performances, good stunts and beautiful scenery. The story and screenplay might have benefited from more cohesion and focus, but that's it.
The ending is a gunfight worthy of a Spaghetti Western. It is set in a unique historical monument, rather suggesting that in the 1960's authorities had some difficulty grasping the "protection" part of the legislation protecting nationally important buildings. Nowadays people tend to be more strict, which may be a pity since I, for one, would pay good money to see "Elephant stampede in the Vatican" or "Mars attacks the Forbidden City".
Watch out for the "vernissage" where the aspiring sculptress presents her work to the world. She is wearing a remarkable outfit, complete with seriously weaponized earrings. Wear these earrings to a real-life event and you will send scores of unsuspecting guests to the emergency ward...
My expectations for the movie were very high, mainly because I expected fireworks from the Ventura-Delon combination. Sadly, both actors failed to draw great sparks off each other. This, however, is not a bad movie : it's a professionally made adventure movie with decent performances, good stunts and beautiful scenery. The story and screenplay might have benefited from more cohesion and focus, but that's it.
The ending is a gunfight worthy of a Spaghetti Western. It is set in a unique historical monument, rather suggesting that in the 1960's authorities had some difficulty grasping the "protection" part of the legislation protecting nationally important buildings. Nowadays people tend to be more strict, which may be a pity since I, for one, would pay good money to see "Elephant stampede in the Vatican" or "Mars attacks the Forbidden City".
Watch out for the "vernissage" where the aspiring sculptress presents her work to the world. She is wearing a remarkable outfit, complete with seriously weaponized earrings. Wear these earrings to a real-life event and you will send scores of unsuspecting guests to the emergency ward...
Robert Enrico's second masterpiece.
dbdumonteil21 August 2004
...the first one being the unsurpassed "Au Coeur De La Vie"
Released when the nouvelle vague was à la mode and when critics did not care for the others (=who were not part of the Godard clique),"les adventurers " has stood the test of time remarkably well,so well that (God preserve us) some producers could think of a remake.
Robert Enrico had already directed "les grandes gueules" (1963) which enhanced male friendships in a Vosges Mountains sawmill and is still watchable today thanks to its good cast(Bourvil,Lino Ventura,Marie Dubois),and Enrico's effective directing.But nothing could have predicted "les adventurers" ,which seems today stronger than yesterday,when so many nouvelle vague "oeuvres " are reserved for highbrows and make too many people take to their heels when they hear about French cinema.
"Les adventurers" was based on the first part of a Jose Giovanni novel(who had written Becker's "le trou";Giovanni himself transferred the second part to the screen as "la loi du survivant").When it was released ,it was a huge popular success,but the critics were a bit condescending.
The Delon/Ventura/Shimkus threesome shines .They are true raiders ,in a way Indiana Jones is not:they have something to lose ,and they are human beings of flesh and blood.Enrico used the film sets with stunning results.He makes the scrap heap where Leatitia looks for waste material as poetic as the fort surrounded by the sea where the tragedy is resolved.François de Roubaix's extraordinary score enhances the scenes as few musicians can do.
The burial at sea is the most beautiful sequence of the sixties French cinema.I cannot think of a more haunting scene :anybody who has seen it never forgets it.Robert Enrico,who is not regarded as an "important" director in France has nothing to be jealous of his peers here.
A work to rival the best of Huston.
Released when the nouvelle vague was à la mode and when critics did not care for the others (=who were not part of the Godard clique),"les adventurers " has stood the test of time remarkably well,so well that (God preserve us) some producers could think of a remake.
Robert Enrico had already directed "les grandes gueules" (1963) which enhanced male friendships in a Vosges Mountains sawmill and is still watchable today thanks to its good cast(Bourvil,Lino Ventura,Marie Dubois),and Enrico's effective directing.But nothing could have predicted "les adventurers" ,which seems today stronger than yesterday,when so many nouvelle vague "oeuvres " are reserved for highbrows and make too many people take to their heels when they hear about French cinema.
"Les adventurers" was based on the first part of a Jose Giovanni novel(who had written Becker's "le trou";Giovanni himself transferred the second part to the screen as "la loi du survivant").When it was released ,it was a huge popular success,but the critics were a bit condescending.
The Delon/Ventura/Shimkus threesome shines .They are true raiders ,in a way Indiana Jones is not:they have something to lose ,and they are human beings of flesh and blood.Enrico used the film sets with stunning results.He makes the scrap heap where Leatitia looks for waste material as poetic as the fort surrounded by the sea where the tragedy is resolved.François de Roubaix's extraordinary score enhances the scenes as few musicians can do.
The burial at sea is the most beautiful sequence of the sixties French cinema.I cannot think of a more haunting scene :anybody who has seen it never forgets it.Robert Enrico,who is not regarded as an "important" director in France has nothing to be jealous of his peers here.
A work to rival the best of Huston.
More 'cult' than classic.
brogmiller6 October 2021
Films which have achieved the dubious distinction of 'cult' status are either far from great or do not represent the best of a particular director. This film of Roberto Enrico is a case in point. It is not a bad film by any means but is neither as well scripted nor as well constructed as others from the same director.
One has only to read reviews on IMDb to realise that this film has struck an emotional chord and captured the imagination although one viewer's declaration that it is 'the best film ever made' is of course utter nonsense.
It is essentially a 'buddy' movie and its success must surely be due to the fact that the buddies are played by Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, two charismatic stars who gel as a duo and possess that indefinable quality that makes us care what happens to them. Their testosterone is balanced by the oestrogen of photogenic former fashion model Joanna Shimkus.
The narrative is rather aimless and the plot absurd but the dynamic between the trio maintains our interest. There is a lovely score by Enrico's preferred composer Francois de Roubaix whilst the location cinematography by Jean Bofferty, especially that of Fort Boyard, the delapidated Napoleonic sea fortress, is splendid. The burial at sea is the scene that lingers longest.
The main appeal of the film lies in the free-spirited nature of Manu, Roland and Laetitia but also serves as a poignant reminder that freedom comes at a price.
One has only to read reviews on IMDb to realise that this film has struck an emotional chord and captured the imagination although one viewer's declaration that it is 'the best film ever made' is of course utter nonsense.
It is essentially a 'buddy' movie and its success must surely be due to the fact that the buddies are played by Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, two charismatic stars who gel as a duo and possess that indefinable quality that makes us care what happens to them. Their testosterone is balanced by the oestrogen of photogenic former fashion model Joanna Shimkus.
The narrative is rather aimless and the plot absurd but the dynamic between the trio maintains our interest. There is a lovely score by Enrico's preferred composer Francois de Roubaix whilst the location cinematography by Jean Bofferty, especially that of Fort Boyard, the delapidated Napoleonic sea fortress, is splendid. The burial at sea is the scene that lingers longest.
The main appeal of the film lies in the free-spirited nature of Manu, Roland and Laetitia but also serves as a poignant reminder that freedom comes at a price.
Unforgettable...
Galina_movie_fan29 November 2004
Warning: Spoilers
After many years, I saw Robert Enrico's "Les Aventuriers" (1967) again. It was like a reunion with an old and dear friend who never changed and only became better with age. Like many years ago, the film brought joy and sadness in the same time. This ode to the friendship which is above everything, to the tender love, to the spirit of freedom and adventure, to the unspoken words, to the magnificent men and the women beautiful like a dream will never get old or outdated. This film is like fresh air, it is a reminder that the adventures will never end as long as there are the adventurers that are always ready "to search and to find, to struggle and to never give up".
I bought a tape with the film dubbed to Russian - that's how I saw it for the first time many years ago, actually. Dubbing is good and the quality is decent but I hope that one day I will be able to obtain the DVD with many features, documentaries, and soundtracks. I also would like to hear the interviews with Alain Delon and Joanna Shimkus - it is sad that she had quit acting; I think she was very talented, and she was breathtaking as Laetitia. I've cried more than once when I saw the film - the burial scene with the Francois de Roubaix's music playing and the final scene were simply heartbreaking.
Fort Boyard, where the final sequences of the film took place, stands in the water like a dream that never came true for the film's characters but it will always be the inspiration for new generations of dreamers and adventurers from around the world.
I bought a tape with the film dubbed to Russian - that's how I saw it for the first time many years ago, actually. Dubbing is good and the quality is decent but I hope that one day I will be able to obtain the DVD with many features, documentaries, and soundtracks. I also would like to hear the interviews with Alain Delon and Joanna Shimkus - it is sad that she had quit acting; I think she was very talented, and she was breathtaking as Laetitia. I've cried more than once when I saw the film - the burial scene with the Francois de Roubaix's music playing and the final scene were simply heartbreaking.
Fort Boyard, where the final sequences of the film took place, stands in the water like a dream that never came true for the film's characters but it will always be the inspiration for new generations of dreamers and adventurers from around the world.
THE LAST ADVENTURE (Robert Enrico, 1967) **1/2
Bunuel19765 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Out of an Alain Delon three-film marathon, this was the one I was most looking forward to but, surprisingly, ended up being the most disappointing. The fact that the Italian TV broadcast suffered from intermittent instances of bad reception had a lot to do with this, I guess, but I also found the film (which was adapted from a novel by crime expert Jose' Giovanni, dealing with a search for treasure lost at sea) rather an inconsequential trifle!
Still, the proceedings are considerably bolstered by attractive locations, the delectable Joanna Shimkus (even if her character, who hitches with stars Delon and Lino Ventura far too quickly, is killed off half-way through) and Francois de Roubaix's delightful score. Delon playing a dashing, reckless flier is his typically inexpressive self, but Ventura is as strong as ever as his inventor/racing-car enthusiast partner; also notable is Serge Reggiani as a nervous yet shifty hanger-on who eventually reveals the exact whereabouts of the crashed airplane in which the loot is stashed. Incidentally, the abandoned fortress in mid-ocean (Shimkus dreams of owning it, but which is eventually purchased by Ventura after her demise with his share of the recovered fortune) is a great setting which director Enrico ably employs for the film's action climax (even if the gangsters who assault Ventura and Delon, who are also after the money, make for a bunch of anonymous villains).
Still, the proceedings are considerably bolstered by attractive locations, the delectable Joanna Shimkus (even if her character, who hitches with stars Delon and Lino Ventura far too quickly, is killed off half-way through) and Francois de Roubaix's delightful score. Delon playing a dashing, reckless flier is his typically inexpressive self, but Ventura is as strong as ever as his inventor/racing-car enthusiast partner; also notable is Serge Reggiani as a nervous yet shifty hanger-on who eventually reveals the exact whereabouts of the crashed airplane in which the loot is stashed. Incidentally, the abandoned fortress in mid-ocean (Shimkus dreams of owning it, but which is eventually purchased by Ventura after her demise with his share of the recovered fortune) is a great setting which director Enrico ably employs for the film's action climax (even if the gangsters who assault Ventura and Delon, who are also after the money, make for a bunch of anonymous villains).
Two men and an angel
Asa_Nisi_Masa213 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This unusual, genre-defying, big-hearted movie is in the true sense of the word a hidden gem. It's actually amazing that though it's so different to Jacques Rivette's Céline and Julie Vont en Bateau, the themes closest to its beating heart are also the celebration of true, disinterested friendship and an aching desire to recapture the pure, unadulterated joy of embarking on childhood adventures also in adulthood. Humankind most definitely needs to reclaim some of its lost internal childhood. Honest, wide-eyed and uncynical, yet wise movies such as these really remind us of this.
Roland (Lino Ventura, not traditionally handsome but truly captivating) and Manu (Alain Delon at his most heart-meltingly gorgeous) are in a very vague sense the male equivalents of Céline and Julie. Both have a taste for ingenious mechanical feats and inventions they concoct in Roland's wonderful workshop, a metal scrapyard which is also a sort of haven from an outside world without imagination. Virginia Woolf once wrote that the problem most women have is the fact they don't have a room of their own, meaning a safe haven in which to create, let their imagination run free, and find themselves - I would extend this to humankind, which lacks not just a physical haven, but also an internal one. Roland's scrapyard here is a literal materialisation of one such haven, and the true mark of friendship is when its owner allows his friends to share it with him.
One day, the adorable Laetitia (Joanna Shimkus, Sidney Poitier's wife) comes looking for pieces of scrap metal - old cars parts, airplane propeller blades, etc. - wishing to buy them off Roland to use them for her metal sculptures. He's initially rather dismissive, almost offended at the notion that the metal scraps in his personal playground should be for sale. However, he very soon warms to her sweetness and genuineness. It's through him that she very soon also meets his best friend Manu, a daring pilot and true child at heart, a perfect complement to Roland. Good God, what delightful eyecandy that young Delon was! Especially in the scenes at sea in Congo, when he has his shirt off most of the time and is all toned, tanned, with tousled, floppy hair and long stubble... :-)
From that moment on, this wonderful trio becomes inseparable. The scenes in which we are shown the growth of their beautiful bond, their carefree spirit, their unbridled inventiveness and imagination, their perfect tenderness (especially flowing from the two men to the girl), and disinterested concern for one another, are simply life-affirming.
But there are forces at work to try and destroy this beauty. These forces are embodied by the characters who are responsible for having Manu lose his pilot's license when he tries to do a daring stunt with his delightful retro bi-plane (flying through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris), the art critics who give Laetitia extremely negative reviews at her exhibition, and the men who subsequently pursue our three heroes in ways that I won't give away. These are all grown ups who have lost their grasp of the child-like spirit of friendship and adventure, pursuing three who haven't.
On the other hand, you really get a sense that the crazy treasure hunt that Roland, Manu and Laetitia embark on in the ocean off the coast of Congo is done mostly for its own sake, and not solely for financial gain. The bond between the three soon inevitably develops a physical and emotional tension, with Laetitia not quite exchanging the feeling for the one friend who loves her, and instead feeling drawn to the other, who doesn't feel attracted to her in equal measure. Unfortunately though, these burgeoning feelings between the three never have the time to develop into a proper triangle, as disaster soon strikes, to heart-breaking effect.
******** SPOILERS WARNING: As other reviewers on the IMDb page has also mentioned, Laetitia's burial at sea is one of the most poignant moments I remember seeing in a movie for a long time. Yet it is also extraordinarily restrained and never sentimental, though deeply moving. I was impressed at how Les Aventuriers manages not to lose steam, nor the viewer's interest in the storyline once the angelic Laetitia is no longer there - she is almost the movie's soul, so it's no mean feat on Enrico's part that actually, we become even more morbidly attached to and concerned for Roland and Manu's well-being once she is dead. Seeking out Laetitia's only surviving family members to give them the dead girl's few possessions and her share of the treasure, the two friends travel to the French coastal village where she grew up. There's a poignant moment when an old local shepherd and his wife, who knew Laetitia as a child, reply to Manu and Roland's offer of a reward by saying that they are happy as they are and couldn't wish for anything more in life. A scene that's so simple, so beautiful, and miraculously lacking in rhetoric.
Other favourite scenes and characters include the visit that Roland and Manu pay to the dusty, semi-deserted African museum in Laetitia's village. Curated by a boy no older than eight or nine, who guides the two men around the exhibits with genuine passion and a desire to impress them with his eagerness and expertise, it was the first scene after Laetitia's death to bring a big smile back to my face. This museum was this child's haven, the equivalent of Roland's metal scrap-yard. Likewise, the fortress in the middle of the sea, a place so archetypically symbolic of a psychological state as well as a real, physical place, would have been Laetitia's haven, the one she would have shared with those she loved. Her two true friends go there to honour it and her, but unfortunately, yet more tragic happenings are not far behind them...
Roland (Lino Ventura, not traditionally handsome but truly captivating) and Manu (Alain Delon at his most heart-meltingly gorgeous) are in a very vague sense the male equivalents of Céline and Julie. Both have a taste for ingenious mechanical feats and inventions they concoct in Roland's wonderful workshop, a metal scrapyard which is also a sort of haven from an outside world without imagination. Virginia Woolf once wrote that the problem most women have is the fact they don't have a room of their own, meaning a safe haven in which to create, let their imagination run free, and find themselves - I would extend this to humankind, which lacks not just a physical haven, but also an internal one. Roland's scrapyard here is a literal materialisation of one such haven, and the true mark of friendship is when its owner allows his friends to share it with him.
One day, the adorable Laetitia (Joanna Shimkus, Sidney Poitier's wife) comes looking for pieces of scrap metal - old cars parts, airplane propeller blades, etc. - wishing to buy them off Roland to use them for her metal sculptures. He's initially rather dismissive, almost offended at the notion that the metal scraps in his personal playground should be for sale. However, he very soon warms to her sweetness and genuineness. It's through him that she very soon also meets his best friend Manu, a daring pilot and true child at heart, a perfect complement to Roland. Good God, what delightful eyecandy that young Delon was! Especially in the scenes at sea in Congo, when he has his shirt off most of the time and is all toned, tanned, with tousled, floppy hair and long stubble... :-)
From that moment on, this wonderful trio becomes inseparable. The scenes in which we are shown the growth of their beautiful bond, their carefree spirit, their unbridled inventiveness and imagination, their perfect tenderness (especially flowing from the two men to the girl), and disinterested concern for one another, are simply life-affirming.
But there are forces at work to try and destroy this beauty. These forces are embodied by the characters who are responsible for having Manu lose his pilot's license when he tries to do a daring stunt with his delightful retro bi-plane (flying through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris), the art critics who give Laetitia extremely negative reviews at her exhibition, and the men who subsequently pursue our three heroes in ways that I won't give away. These are all grown ups who have lost their grasp of the child-like spirit of friendship and adventure, pursuing three who haven't.
On the other hand, you really get a sense that the crazy treasure hunt that Roland, Manu and Laetitia embark on in the ocean off the coast of Congo is done mostly for its own sake, and not solely for financial gain. The bond between the three soon inevitably develops a physical and emotional tension, with Laetitia not quite exchanging the feeling for the one friend who loves her, and instead feeling drawn to the other, who doesn't feel attracted to her in equal measure. Unfortunately though, these burgeoning feelings between the three never have the time to develop into a proper triangle, as disaster soon strikes, to heart-breaking effect.
******** SPOILERS WARNING: As other reviewers on the IMDb page has also mentioned, Laetitia's burial at sea is one of the most poignant moments I remember seeing in a movie for a long time. Yet it is also extraordinarily restrained and never sentimental, though deeply moving. I was impressed at how Les Aventuriers manages not to lose steam, nor the viewer's interest in the storyline once the angelic Laetitia is no longer there - she is almost the movie's soul, so it's no mean feat on Enrico's part that actually, we become even more morbidly attached to and concerned for Roland and Manu's well-being once she is dead. Seeking out Laetitia's only surviving family members to give them the dead girl's few possessions and her share of the treasure, the two friends travel to the French coastal village where she grew up. There's a poignant moment when an old local shepherd and his wife, who knew Laetitia as a child, reply to Manu and Roland's offer of a reward by saying that they are happy as they are and couldn't wish for anything more in life. A scene that's so simple, so beautiful, and miraculously lacking in rhetoric.
Other favourite scenes and characters include the visit that Roland and Manu pay to the dusty, semi-deserted African museum in Laetitia's village. Curated by a boy no older than eight or nine, who guides the two men around the exhibits with genuine passion and a desire to impress them with his eagerness and expertise, it was the first scene after Laetitia's death to bring a big smile back to my face. This museum was this child's haven, the equivalent of Roland's metal scrap-yard. Likewise, the fortress in the middle of the sea, a place so archetypically symbolic of a psychological state as well as a real, physical place, would have been Laetitia's haven, the one she would have shared with those she loved. Her two true friends go there to honour it and her, but unfortunately, yet more tragic happenings are not far behind them...
Not bad at all.
Jeremy_Urquhart15 April 2024
"Your Honor, the opposition can't prove I watched this just because it has a young Alain Delon in it. Please, have mercy."
That aside, this is a solid enough adventure movie, doing most things right, only a small number of things wrong here and there, but also never quite crossing over into territory where it would start to feel exceptional.
It introduces three engaging characters, establishes their financial woes (they'll be relatable to 99% of people living today I guess), and then gives them a clear goal.
The character dynamics and complications along the way keep things interesting (as they should), and though it's not always smooth-sailing (the dance they do together before setting off to Africa was a choice), it's generally a pretty good Adventure.
That aside, this is a solid enough adventure movie, doing most things right, only a small number of things wrong here and there, but also never quite crossing over into territory where it would start to feel exceptional.
It introduces three engaging characters, establishes their financial woes (they'll be relatable to 99% of people living today I guess), and then gives them a clear goal.
The character dynamics and complications along the way keep things interesting (as they should), and though it's not always smooth-sailing (the dance they do together before setting off to Africa was a choice), it's generally a pretty good Adventure.
Friendship, Robert Enrico style
alanbenfieldjr31 October 2017
A splash of something fulfilling, moving, romantic, heartbreaking. Robert Enrico is one of the unsung masters of film. His movies are not destined for a Godardian audience but not even the purist film scholar can be indifferent to this. Alain Delon is at his most natural and human. That on its own it's just gorgeous. Lino Ventura is sublime as the older friend who needs the other but at the same time gives him all the freedom in the world because, as it happens with true friends, he want what's best for the other. The entrance of Joanna Shimkus into their lives is totally intoxicating. She doesn't enter to interfere in Delon and Ventura's friendship but to reinforce it. How beautiful! She's perfect. This film deserves a new life. I know it's difficult to find but it's well worth the effort.
They don't make such movies any more
frierkatz9 February 2001
This movie is indeed one of the best I have ever seen. It's magic doesn't let you loose until the last picture fades away and still you think "OH - NO!" please don't let that be the end ... Lino Ventura and Alain Delon are the perfect match for this cast! From the sixties though, but as one says, "they don't make such movies any more". Although the movie tells one of those "boy meets girl", "another boy joins them" stories, this one is different. Everything circles around her and it's getting faster and faster. They're goofing around and having lots of fun, the best time of their lives. But when they lose her, their precious toy is gone, which drags them down. That the story has a very sad ending, where our 'hero' loses everything, is obvious, must be obvious from the beginning, still it is very hard to admit - at the end. This movie is a must-see.
A film of diverse pleasures
jrhietpas24 May 2000
The film has many pleasures - a wonderful score, a barnstorming biplane, a funny car (with an even funnier-looking driver), a Paris art show, and a nifty fortress in the middle of the ocean. Alain Delon is always a pleasure to watch. He plays the arrogant, handsome daredevil with a heart of gold quite convincingly. His acting is always intense, even when he is doing very little. Lino Ventura is terrific as well, and he and Delon are a great pair. Upon reflection their relationship makes little sense (since we are given no history of the two) but it hardly matters when one is watching the film. The relationship between the two men and Laetitia (Joanna Shimkus)is a bit odd but sweet and believable. The locations are wide ranging (Paris, Africa, coastal France) and this film is full of exciting and droll scenes: The discovery of the sunken airplane is beautiful and scary; Roland and Manu walking out of the casino in their suave duds and getting into Roland's tow-truck is hilarious. The greatest pleasure of the film is that the narrative does not necessarily go where one would imagine it would. The version I saw was widescreen and the subtitles were mostly in the lower black of the letterboxing, which made them very easy to read. If you're in the mood for a little bit of action with a lot of good characterization and acting, check this one out.
PS: The French seem pretty hung up with threesomes, no?
PS: The French seem pretty hung up with threesomes, no?
A breeze of refreshing air...
user-765312 May 2006
If you wish to know -or, to remember- that our world was once upon a time a beautiful and healthy one, please, would you like to taste -again- this excellent masterpiece...
Alain Delon, that Apollon of the Seventh Art, is in one of the best actings and appearances; he is simply wonderful again.
Lino Ventura is just the man needed for this masterpiece.
Joanna Shimkus -Laetitia- will remain, forever, in your mind after this masterpiece.
The soundtrack is too unforgettable. You can be sure that you will always hear in your soul the Song of Laetitia.
And, though Robert Enrico is not a very celebrated director,you will see also that he should be.
10 bright stars for Les Aventuriers...
Alain Delon, that Apollon of the Seventh Art, is in one of the best actings and appearances; he is simply wonderful again.
Lino Ventura is just the man needed for this masterpiece.
Joanna Shimkus -Laetitia- will remain, forever, in your mind after this masterpiece.
The soundtrack is too unforgettable. You can be sure that you will always hear in your soul the Song of Laetitia.
And, though Robert Enrico is not a very celebrated director,you will see also that he should be.
10 bright stars for Les Aventuriers...
My personal cult - favorite
trixter-226 January 2002
A cult classic. My personal first of cult movies. I had friends who saw it over 30 times and I clearly remember its last screening in Hungary. Ignoring all fire regulations, the manager of the theatre let in everybody who showed up. I was standing in a crowd. Like all cult movies, it speaks the angst of its time. It does not really matter what it is about, what matters is how it feels. It is difficult for me to judge it now because it still touches me and I do not know how much of that is just the nostalgic longing for the angst of my youth. Neither do I know if it is possible for someone who did not live through the sixties to relate to it. Or if it can talk to American viewers.
Cult movies can seldom be called cinematographic achievements; you will seldom find them in the books of film history, but if you want to understand the times they represent, nothing can replace them. This IS the movie of the sixties just as Easy Rider was the movie of the seventies.
A definite must see.
Cult movies can seldom be called cinematographic achievements; you will seldom find them in the books of film history, but if you want to understand the times they represent, nothing can replace them. This IS the movie of the sixties just as Easy Rider was the movie of the seventies.
A definite must see.
True adventurers
vik-814 December 2003
In my view, one of the taglines of this movie is aspiration of human nature for 'exploring new horizons' - it doesn't matter where - in performing a stunt with the small plane, in building a novel racing car engine, in establishing a new art direction, in finding something on the bottom of the sea - that may not exist... You may recall how Laetitia looses interest in her dancing partner when he indicates that he doesn't know why all these things are needed.
Wish we were there.
androidus9 September 2002
Warning: Spoilers
It's is hard to say anything about a movie like this. The previous commentators almost told everything. Let me share you just some extra thoughts.
This film is about freedom. If you have not seen it, maybe you do not know what freedom is, and how it feels to be free. It shows a world that will not come back any more, and we can not be sorry enough for that. Something has gone. Something, that is present in each and every moment of this film. When watching it, you will feel short of breath, and that the room is not large enough.
You will not forget the name Laeticia any more, and wont forget the song about her. Her death (I think this can be said) is the most tragedic one of film history. Incredible, but so simple. I'm a strong man, who never cries, but this is a moment that I can not resist crying.
Her funeral is a memorable moment. I can suggest to everyone to see also Luc Besson's Big Blue, and compare Enzo's funeral to Laeticia's. That is Monsieur Besson's salute to the makers of this film.
This film is about freedom. If you have not seen it, maybe you do not know what freedom is, and how it feels to be free. It shows a world that will not come back any more, and we can not be sorry enough for that. Something has gone. Something, that is present in each and every moment of this film. When watching it, you will feel short of breath, and that the room is not large enough.
You will not forget the name Laeticia any more, and wont forget the song about her. Her death (I think this can be said) is the most tragedic one of film history. Incredible, but so simple. I'm a strong man, who never cries, but this is a moment that I can not resist crying.
Her funeral is a memorable moment. I can suggest to everyone to see also Luc Besson's Big Blue, and compare Enzo's funeral to Laeticia's. That is Monsieur Besson's salute to the makers of this film.
Lost souls start it, but ends like a Greek epic
hooshi28 January 1999
Top 250 missing Les Aventuriers
bicgus111 April 2008
Clear masterpiece from Robert Enrico which should appear in top 100, and doesn't just because of lack of information. Les Aventuriers is the kind of film that is absolutely unique and no replica can parallel it at all. Wonderful scenes under the sun in the beautiful sea are indeed touching; I can hardly think of anyone who does not long with full heart living through such situations of love, friendship and natural beauty. Life, of course, reserves this for a few ones. For those who did not know, this film has been (at long last) released in DVD in France in 2007 as a commemoration for its 40th anniversary. It is spoken and captioned in French only, but the quality out stands even that of the actual cinema several decades ago; it really surprised me. Even if you do not understand French, keep it at hand to lift your mood on a winter rainy day.
delightful
Kirpianuscus24 April 2022
It is a huge basket with fruits. Dreams and games of childhood, reflected by treasure and fortress, splendid chemistry between Lino Ventura and Alain Delon, few drops of romance and great portrait of friendship, humor and extravagance, fights and deaths, a boy, guide of a local museum, a dromader with a noble name associated, bad guys.
Short, a large window opened in early morning.
Short, a large window opened in early morning.
Unjustly neglected masterpiece
Boris_Day30 September 2011
On my last trip to Germany, I was amazed to pick up the brand new Blu-ray release of a favourite film of mine, Robert Enrico's 1967 film Les Aventuriers (original English release title The Last Adventure). Whenever I'm asked which I think is the most underrated, most unjustly forgotten about film, my answer is Les Aventuriers. To my knowledge the film has only been available on DVD in France without any subtitles. This is a film I've been desperate to see again since I caught it several times on TV in my childhood. Last night I finally watched the film again and it still lived up to my memories.
Before I continue I have to say that like so many German releases, this only has optional German subtitles (German title Die Abenteurer) , so the release is only suitable for French and German speakers. Hopefully as there now is an excellent HD transfer available, this means that the film will get released in other countries. Still, I want to write a little bit about the film, because it was the first film I saw that made a huge impression on me.
As the title hints at, this is (at least in part) an adventure film headlining stars Alain Delon and Lino Ventura. Apparently the reason why this film has been forgotten about is because it had nothing to do with the French New Wave which made headlines around the world in the 60s, being a classically made genre film. That said, its central romantic triangle and shifts of plot, tone and genres would have been perfectly at home in a Nouvelle Vague film.
At the heart of the Les Aventuriers is the engaging interplay between its three leads; Delon, Ventura and the beautiful, likable Joanna Shimkus, who had a promising, if all too brief career in the 60s and early 70s (since her retirement, she's mainly been known as Mrs Sidney Poitier). The films next asset is a plot that constantly turns unexpected corners. There are shifts of tone which the film navigates brilliantly, as it moves from lighthearted comedy, to globe trotting adventure, towards a melancholy last act that pulls the rug from under ones feet. Two thirds into the story, what has been a light hearted comedy adventure so far turns unexpectedly dark and serious, heading towards a downbeat, heartbreaking ending. But then that's exactly the reason why the film has stayed with me and has haunted me ever since.
As to the premise, Shimkus plays a young sculptress who sets up her studio in Ventura's drag racing garage after meeting him collecting scrap metal for her art pieces. Ventura's best friend is Delon, a stunt pilot. Though only subtly hinted at, it becomes clear that both men are attracted to the girl, but neither makes a move out of respect for the other. The girl also is sensitive to the men's friendship, so they have an unspoken agreement for their relationships remain platonic. By not going down the expected romantic route, the film becomes a touching portrait of an equal three way friendship. Instead of jealousies that would have ensued had the girl hooked up with one of the guys, the three friends look out for, care for and support each other. To not become a conventional love story is unexpected for a film that throws France's most handsome male movie star and a beautiful girl into the mix. And that's just the first of many unexpected turns the film has up its sleeve.
When each of the friends suffers a major setback in their individual ventures, they decide to travel to the Congo, where they have found out is a treasure in a sunken plane, due to Delon's dealings with shady business people. There the adventure begins and the film becomes increasingly more unpredictable as our three heroes move into dangerous territory.
Two more aspects that really enhance the film are the beautiful widescreen cinematography by Jean Boffety, as the film moves from a grey suburban Paris, to a sun drenched Africa, to a bleak Southern France. The use of locations is fantastic, with France being far from the glamorous place of Hollywood films, but grey and dismal, in stark contrast to the sun drenched, colourful African scenes. The tremendously stylish score by François de Roubaix is another major asset, with a memorable, whistled theme tune.
Hopefully the fact that the film has been released on Blu in one country will mean that it will become available in other territories. A cult film in Germany, France and Japan, this film is deserving a re-discovery in this country too.
Before I continue I have to say that like so many German releases, this only has optional German subtitles (German title Die Abenteurer) , so the release is only suitable for French and German speakers. Hopefully as there now is an excellent HD transfer available, this means that the film will get released in other countries. Still, I want to write a little bit about the film, because it was the first film I saw that made a huge impression on me.
As the title hints at, this is (at least in part) an adventure film headlining stars Alain Delon and Lino Ventura. Apparently the reason why this film has been forgotten about is because it had nothing to do with the French New Wave which made headlines around the world in the 60s, being a classically made genre film. That said, its central romantic triangle and shifts of plot, tone and genres would have been perfectly at home in a Nouvelle Vague film.
At the heart of the Les Aventuriers is the engaging interplay between its three leads; Delon, Ventura and the beautiful, likable Joanna Shimkus, who had a promising, if all too brief career in the 60s and early 70s (since her retirement, she's mainly been known as Mrs Sidney Poitier). The films next asset is a plot that constantly turns unexpected corners. There are shifts of tone which the film navigates brilliantly, as it moves from lighthearted comedy, to globe trotting adventure, towards a melancholy last act that pulls the rug from under ones feet. Two thirds into the story, what has been a light hearted comedy adventure so far turns unexpectedly dark and serious, heading towards a downbeat, heartbreaking ending. But then that's exactly the reason why the film has stayed with me and has haunted me ever since.
As to the premise, Shimkus plays a young sculptress who sets up her studio in Ventura's drag racing garage after meeting him collecting scrap metal for her art pieces. Ventura's best friend is Delon, a stunt pilot. Though only subtly hinted at, it becomes clear that both men are attracted to the girl, but neither makes a move out of respect for the other. The girl also is sensitive to the men's friendship, so they have an unspoken agreement for their relationships remain platonic. By not going down the expected romantic route, the film becomes a touching portrait of an equal three way friendship. Instead of jealousies that would have ensued had the girl hooked up with one of the guys, the three friends look out for, care for and support each other. To not become a conventional love story is unexpected for a film that throws France's most handsome male movie star and a beautiful girl into the mix. And that's just the first of many unexpected turns the film has up its sleeve.
When each of the friends suffers a major setback in their individual ventures, they decide to travel to the Congo, where they have found out is a treasure in a sunken plane, due to Delon's dealings with shady business people. There the adventure begins and the film becomes increasingly more unpredictable as our three heroes move into dangerous territory.
Two more aspects that really enhance the film are the beautiful widescreen cinematography by Jean Boffety, as the film moves from a grey suburban Paris, to a sun drenched Africa, to a bleak Southern France. The use of locations is fantastic, with France being far from the glamorous place of Hollywood films, but grey and dismal, in stark contrast to the sun drenched, colourful African scenes. The tremendously stylish score by François de Roubaix is another major asset, with a memorable, whistled theme tune.
Hopefully the fact that the film has been released on Blu in one country will mean that it will become available in other territories. A cult film in Germany, France and Japan, this film is deserving a re-discovery in this country too.
Design For Leaving
writers_reign21 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The winning two-men-one-woman formula has been around a long time. Three quarters of a century ago Noel Coward wrote Design For Living as a stage vehicle for himself and the Lunts and it reached the screen soon afterwards albeit greatly rewritten by Ben Hecht and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. MGM got lots of mileage out of the format in such titles as San Francisco, Boom Town and Test Pilot, all pairing Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy with respectively Jeanette MacDonald, Claudette Colbert and Myrna Loy. One of the tricks, of course, is to put spin on it so that in San Francisco Tracey played a priest therefore not a serious sexual rival for MacDonald; about five years ago Patrice Lecomte gave the formula an airing in Une Chance sur deux and his twist was to have the female - in this case the dreaded Vanessa Paradis - trying to decide which of two middle aged men, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo, was her biological father and involving both in some heavy duty mayhem with the Russian mafia. Les Aventuriers features a younger Delon this time around teamed with Lino Ventura with Joanna Shimkus forming the third link. I have to confess that this one passed me by until I was alerted to it by a French friend who went one better by supplying a DVD. I've now watched it and read most of the comments here, including a perceptive one as lyrical as the movie itself from another friend, Galina. I can only endorse everything that's been said here. This is simply a Stunning and Beautiful film celebrating friendship and children playing at being grown-ups. All three principals are outstanding as is Serge Reggiani who has a supporting role. One of the film's strengths is its refusal to take what is essentially a fairy story to its happy-ever-after logical conclusion and illustrate the heavy price tag that comes with being eternally young at heart and refusing to grow up. A wonderful antidote to the New Wavelet and a reminder that movies were conceived to bring joy and pleasure to the masses rather than ego trips for wanna-be academics.
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