The Big Risk (1960)
"Classe tous risques" (original title)

Abel Davis is a criminal, hunted in Italy. The police are closing in, so he and his pal Raymond arrange to flee back to France with Abel's wife, Thérèse, and their two young sons. Abel and ... See full summary »

Director:

Claude Sautet

Writers:

José Giovanni (novel), Claude Sautet (adaptation),

Stars:

Lino Ventura, Sandra Milo, Jean-Paul Belmondo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lino Ventura	...	Abel Davos
Sandra Milo	...	Liliane
Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Eric Stark
Marcel Dalio	...	Arthur Gibelin
Michel Ardan	...	Riton Vintran
Simone France	...	Thérèse Davos
Michèle Méritz	...	Sophie Fargier
Stan Krol	...	Raymond
Evelyne Ker	...	La fille de Gibelin
Betty Schneider	...	La petite bonne
France Asselin	...	Madame Vintran
Jean-Pierre Zola	...	Le patron de l'agence privée (as J.P. Zola)
Sylvain Levignac	...	Le détective de l'agence privée
Jeanne Pérez	...	Jacqueline Chapuis
René Génin	...	Chapuis

Storyline

Abel Davis is a criminal, hunted in Italy. The police are closing in, so he and his pal Raymond arrange to flee back to France with Abel's wife, Thérèse, and their two young sons. Abel and Raymond commit a brazen robbery to get funds, killing two men; in the escape, more die. Abel arrives in Nice with the boys, calls his pals in Paris, and gets the brush-off. Reluctantly, they send a stranger, Eric Stark, to bring Abel to Paris, but he's getting the message he's on his own. Honor, friendship, and debt now count for little. What can Abel, a wanted man with two small children and only Stark as a friend, do? "Never give ground," he tells Eric, but how long can he hold to his code?

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | escape | friend | stranger | police | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

Italian French

Release Date:

1 April 1960 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Big Risk

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$11,945 (USA) (18 November 2005)

Gross:

$94,552 (USA) (21 July 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mondex Films, Les Films Odéon, Filmsonor

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric-Optiphone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Nel cuore della notte (2002)

User Reviews

A great film, if you can find it...

I saw this film at Telluride Film Festival in 1997, where one of the screenwriters, José Giovanni, was being honored. It ranks highly as a great noir-crime-drama, incredible performances by Belmondo and Lino Ventura. The attention given to every character, and complex psychological portrayals, detailing loyalty, treachery, love, and hope, are tremendous. It is an excellent drama, an excellent thriller, and an excellent film. Up there with the best of Melville. (The title in English 'Class all risk,' in French 'Classe tous risques' is word-play on 'Classe Touriste,' meaning 'Tourist Class'.