Le Voyou (1970)
Directed by Claude Lelouch

Comedy / Drama / Crime / Adventure
aka: Simon the Swiss

Film Synopsis

Escaped convict Simon Duroc evades capture by the police by ducking into a cinema and getting a woman he has never met before to kiss him.  The woman offers him a temporary refuge in his home and he gratefully accepts.  Simon's one thought is to take revenge against the person who caused him to be sent to jail for kidnapping a child.  Before doing so, he looks up his former mistress Martine and his criminal associates.  He will need their help if his private vendetta is to succeed.  It all began five years ago, when Simon conceived a brilliant plan to extort a large sum of money from a humble bank employee, Monsieur Gallois, by abducting his little boy.

By posing as a radio announcer, Martine was able to convince Gallois and his wife that they had just won a fortune, to be presented to them at a special ceremony at the Olympia.  Simon insisted on taking the Gallois' son away with him so that he could be made ready for the presentation.  It was the easiest abduction ever, and naturally Gallois' employers were more than willing to stump up the ransom money for the boy's release.  But after his son had been returned to him, unharmed, Gallois demanded a share of the ransom, and when he didn't get it he denounced Simon to the police.  It is a betrayal that has rankled in the kidnapper's heart ever since.  Now, with the help of his friend Charlot, he intends that Gallois shall pay dearly for his indiscretion...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Claude Lelouch
  • Script: Claude Lelouch (story), Claude Pinoteau, Pierre Uytterhoeven
  • Cinematographer: Claude Lelouch
  • Music: Francis Lai
  • Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant (Simon Duroc dit 'le Suisse'), Danièle Delorme (Janine), Charles Gérard (Charlot), Christine Lelouch (Martine), Yves Robert (Le commissaire), Judith Magre (Mme Gallois), Aldo Maccione (Aldo Ferrari), Paul Le Person (Le faussaire), Amidou (Bill), Gérard Sire (Le maire), Jacques Doniol-Valcroze (Le banquier), Gabriella Giorgelli (L'italienne), Pierre Zimmer (Martine's Husband), Charles Denner (Monsieur Gallois), Sacha Distel (Himself), Luciano Pigozzi, Mimmo Palmara, Alexandra Mnouchkine, Maurice Auzel, Claude Barrois
  • Country: France / Italy
  • Language: French
  • Support: Color
  • Runtime: 120 min
  • Aka: Simon the Swiss ; The Crook

The greatest French film directors
sb-img-29
From Jean Renoir to François Truffaut, French cinema has no shortage of truly great filmmakers, each bringing a unique approach to the art of filmmaking.
The best French films of 2018
sb-img-27
Our round-up of the best French films released in 2018.
The very best fantasy films in French cinema
sb-img-30
Whilst the horror genre is under-represented in French cinema, there are still a fair number of weird and wonderful forays into the realms of fantasy.
The silent era of French cinema
sb-img-13
Before the advent of sound France was a world leader in cinema. Find out more about this overlooked era.
The best of American film noir
sb-img-9
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright