L’Héritier (1973)

L’Héritier is a French thriller film first released in 1973, directed by Philippe Labro.  The film stars Jean-Paul Belmondo, Carla Gravina, Jean Rochefort, Charles Denner and Jean Desailly.  It has also been released under the title: The Exterminator.  Our overall rating for this film is: good.


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…

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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