The Silent One (1973)
"Le silencieux" (original title)

Director:

Claude Pinoteau

Writers:

Jean-Loup Dabadie (scenario), Claude Pinoteau (scenario),

Stars:

Lino Ventura, Leo Genn, Suzanne Flon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lino Ventura	...	Clément Tibère
Leo Genn	...	Chief of M.I.5
Suzanne Flon	...	Jeanne
Robert Hardy	...	The Assistant
Lea Massari	...	Maria
Pierre-Michel Le Conte	...	Boris Korodine
Annie Dejean-Jodry
Bernard Dhéran	...	M.Chat
Pierre Zimmer	...	Le nouveau mari de Maria
Roger Crouzet	...	Un agent de la D.S.T.
Lucienne Legrand	...	La libraire
Pierre Collet
André Falcon	...	Un agent de la D.S.T.
Jerry Brouer
Richard Saint-Bris

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

swiss border | cremation | soviet embassy | shot through a window | teletype | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

4 August 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Great Manhunt

Filming Locations:

Geneva, Canton de Genève, Switzerland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Fantôme avec chauffeur (1996)

User Reviews

Hunted by the KGB, Lino Ventura flees from place to place

In "The Silent One", Lino Ventura is a French scientist who was kidnapped by the Russians 16 years earlier. On a trip to London, British intelligence snatches him in order to get the names of its own security leaks. They set him free but the KGB is soon hot on his heels.

The picture is a non-stop thriller as the KGB rapidly finds him no matter where he goes, but there is escape after escape. He makes his way to France quite early on where most of the action occurs.

This picture is on the long side. I think it will hold up on repeated viewings, but it's slightly out of tune and seems in places to miss the mark of really engaging suspense. One music sequence is too obviously derivative of Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much". However, it will stand up overall because the director made an effort to do most things his own way.

Lino Ventura makes this movie well worthwhile. He's terrific as usual.