''L'aventure, c'est l'aventure'' is a 1972 French film directed by

Claude Lelouch Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critical ...

. Starring

Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor and philanthropist, who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was considered one of the greatest leading men ...

and popular singers Jacques Brel and Johnny Hallyday, it recounts the adventures of five criminals who progress from conventional urban crime to international notoriety as celebrity kidnappers. The film was screened at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, but wasn't entered into the main competition.

Plot

In Paris in 1972, a group of five career criminals realise that the rewards from their traditional way of life are shrinking in the modern world. Lino, for example, finds that his prostitutes want to be independent entrepreneurs recognised by the state. Jacques accepts that his bank robberies yield a low net return for high risks. After much discussion, the five settle on celebrity kidnaps. Their first target is the singer Johnny Hallyday, who is delighted at the publicity and himself writes them a huge ransom cheque. Decamping with the proceeds to Latin America, they are hired by left-wing guerillas to kidnap the Swiss ambassador. The government agree to free twenty imprisoned revolutionaries in exchange for his release. When Ernesto, leader of the rebels, refuses to pay the kidnappers' fee, they kidnap him and sell his freedom for cash to three separate buyers; his soldiers, the government, and the CIA. The gang decamp with the proceeds to the USA, where they hijack a 747 and return it for a fee in millions. Taking a holiday break on a yacht, they are hailed by five beauties in a speedboat. When the couples have paired off, Ernesto's soldiers scramble aboard. Under torture, the five men tell him how to access their Swiss bank account. Once he has their money, he hands them over to the French police, who put the five on trial. Their defence lawyer craftily claims that the trial is political rather than criminal. Worried, the justice minister arranges for them to escape and fly out of the country. Landing in Africa, their skills are in immediate demand. The army is planning a coup on the day after the Pope arrives for a visit. The gang kidnap the Pope at the airport and demand that every Catholic in the world must contribute at least one dollar for his release.

Cast

– Lino Massaro * Jacques Brel – Jacques *

Charles Denner Charles Denner (29 May 1926 – 10 September 1995) was a French actor born to a Jewish family in Tarnów, Poland. During his 30-year career he worked with some of France's greatest film director, directors of the time, including Louis Malle, ...

– Simon Duroc * Johnny Hallyday – Himself * Charles Gérard – Charlot * Aldo Maccione – Aldo * Nicole Courcel – Nicole *

Yves Robert Yves Robert (; 19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting w ...

– Defense lawyer *

André Falcon André Falcon (28 November 1924 – 22 July 2009) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1954 to 2008. Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon, Andre 1924 births 2009 deaths ...

– The ambassador * Juan Luis Buñuel – Ernesto Juarez * Gordon Heath – African general * – The ambassador's wife * – A vacationer (credited as Madly Bamy) * – A vacationer * Annie Ho – A vacationer (credited as Annie Hau) * – A vacationer * Xavier Gélin – Lino's son * Sevim Joyce * Jean Berger – French President (by car) * – The police motorcycle * – General Counsel * Michele Alet (uncredited) * Catherine Allégret – An activist (uncredited) * Elie Chouraqui – A revolutionary (uncredited) * – The Pope (uncredited) * Georges Cravenne – The president of the court (uncredited) * – The political expert (uncredited) * Michel Drucker – Himself (uncredited) * – An activist (uncredited) * Arlette Gordon – The flight attendant (uncredited) * Sylvain Joubert – An activist (uncredited) *

Pierre Kast Pierre Kast (; 22 September 192020 October 1984) was a French people, French screenwriter, film and television director, and freedom fighter. Biography Prior to his work in film, Kast was a resistance activist in World War II, opposing the Vichy F ...

– An activist (uncredited) * Alexandre Mnouchkine – John Davis (uncredited) * – Himself (uncredited) * – Ministry's voice (by car) (uncredited) * – Ministry (by car) * – Man on a bicycle (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aventure c'est l'aventure French comedy films 1972 films Films directed by Claude Lelouch Films about kidnapping in France Films scored by Francis Lai Films scored by José Padilla 1972 comedy films 1970s French films