The Professional (1981)

Victim of a plot which has resulted in his imprisonment in a Central African jail for two years, a French secret agent arrives in Paris to settle accounts.

Director:

Georges Lautner

Writers:

Patrick Alexander (novel), Georges Lautner (adaptation)

Stars:

Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Desailly, Cyrielle Clair

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Josselin Beaumont dit 'Joss'
Jean Desailly	...	Le ministre
Cyrielle Clair	...	Alice Ancelin (as Cyrielle Claire)
Marie-Christine Descouard	...	Doris Frederiksen
Elisabeth Margoni	...	Jeanne Baumont
Jean-Louis Richard	...	Le colonel Martin
Michel Beaune	...	Le capitaine Valeras
Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu	...	L'inspecteur Farges (as Bernard Donnadieu)
Pierre Saintons	...	Le président N'Jala
Gérard Darrieu	...	L'instructeur Picard
Sidiki Bakaba	...	Le prisonnier évadé
Baaron
Robert Hossein	...	Le commissaire Rosen
Dany Kogan	...	Sergent Gruber
Marc Lamole	...	Le serveur d'hôtel

Storyline

French secret agent Joss Baumont is sent to one of the African countries to kill their president Njala. However, at the last moment the political situation changes and the French secret service turns him in to the African authorities, and he is sentenced to a long-term imprisonment. After the daring escape he returns to France and deliberately informs his former chiefs of his presence promising them to kill Njala who has just arrived to the country with the official visit.

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Plot Keywords:

french agent | firearm | secret agent | french secret service | fictional country | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 October 1981 (France)

Also Known As:

The Professional

Filming Locations:

Château de Maintenon, Maintenon, Eure-et-Loir, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cerito Films, Les Films Ariane

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ennio Morricone's musical theme "Chi Mai" was composed for Maddalena (1971). The song was completely re-recorded in 1978 for the single "Disco '78" with heavier drums and in a different key. After hearing this version on the radio, Jean-Paul Belmondo was so impressed that he suggested it should be put into the soundtrack of his film. Ultimately, the record of this musical score was not only more successful than its initial release but came to be one of Morricone's bestselling work.

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Goofs

When the clochards reach the car with the policemen inside, one of the chlochards destroys a bottle on the roof of the car, so the roof gets wet and there are lots of glass splinters on it. In various shots after, the roof is completely clean again.

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Connections

Edited into Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012)

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Soundtracks

Le Vent, Le Cri
Composed by Ennio Morricone
Directed by Ennio Morricone
Published by Général Music France

User Reviews

The rare charisma of Jean-Paul Belmondo

This has to be, without a doubt, one of Jean-Paul Belmondo's finest hours on screen.

I can only guess that "Le Professionnel" is the kind of movie that helped inspire future action-directors like Luc Besson, the way it mixes raw violence with quirky charm and last but not least: some memorable, often cartoonish characters: Robert Hossein is creepy as hell as police captain Rosen, and Belmondo ignites the screen with charm and charisma, so much that the scene with the helicopter will just tear your heart out.

This French little gem has thrills, action and even a few laughs, it includes such showstoppers as a car-chase in front of the Eiffel Tower (!) and even a wild west style duel in broad daylight on the streets of Paris. To top it all of the soundtrack includes one of Ennio Morricone's most famous movie themes!

In short: highly recommended for fans of European action movies.