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L'Héritier
1973 Crime / Thriller
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Credits
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Director: Philippe Labro
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Script: Philippe Labro, Jacques Lanzmann, Vincenzo Labella
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Photo: Jean Penzer
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Music: Michel Colombier
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Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo (Bart Cordell),
Carla Gravina (Liza Rocquencourt),
Jean Rochefort (Le nonce (André
Berthier)),
Charles Denner (David Loweinstein),
Jean Desailly (Jean-Pierre Carnavan),
Jean Martin (Mgr. Schneider),
Maurice Garrel (Brayen),
Pierre Grasset (Pierre Delmas),
Maureen Kerwin (Lauren Korey),
François Chaumette (Me. Theron-Maillard),
Michel Beaune (Frédéric Lambert)
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 107 min
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Aka: The Exterminator; The Inheritor
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Summary
When his father, a wealthy industrialist, is killed in aeroplane crash, Bart Cordell returns
to France to take up the reins of the empire he has inherited. When a prostitute
attempts to frame him for drug smuggling, he begins to suspect is father may have been
murdered. Bart’s investigation uncovers a complex web of political intrigue,
in which his own family and his stepfather are heavily implicated…
Review
With this stylish thriller, Philippe Labro takes some carefully judged swipes at his own
profession, that of journalism, whilst referencing some major topical concerns –
including corruption in politics and industry. This is Labro’s third film
and although it feels heavily overloaded with content, it is well crafted and a compelling
example of the polar (mystery-thriller) genre. Some unusual camera framing and sharp
editing brings a frisson of originality into what was, even by the early 1970s, a pretty
formulaic and heavily over-used genre.
The film’s charismatic hero is played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, who was –
alongside Alain Delon – the most popular film actor in France at the time.
Alas, there are none of the trademark Belmondo stunts in this film – which is actually
to the film’s advantage. Belmondo’s performance is credible, but his
characterisation shows little variation from film to film – not that the cinema-going
public of the day minded. The plethora of other talented actors – including
Jean Desailly, Jean Rochefort and Charles Denner – add to the film’s quality
feel but are large wasted as it is Belmondo who, as ever, draws the focus throughout.
Although the film was not a staggering success (of the kind that many of Belmondo’s
films were in this decade), it did attract a respectable audience in France of over two
million spectators. The film’s controversial subject matter, and its equally
controversial ending, may have lessened its appeal. The “neo-polar”
(conspiracy thriller) element of L’Héritier was not greatly appreciated
at the time but would have a strong presence on French cinema by the end of the 1970s
as a series of headline-grabbing scandals rocked the political establishment across Europe.
Like a good journalist, Philippe Labro was well ahead of the game.
© James Travers 2004
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