I have seen this movie 40 years ago, and remembered quite well a few memorable scenes. It's been a pleasure to see it again on the European ARTE channel and to realize that it survived well the time. I enjoyed it again and not only for nostalgic reasons.
Alain Delon and Lino Ventura were 'monstres sacres' of the French cinema of the epoch. Delon was at the pick of his sex-appeal, and Ventura was always interesting enough to catch even the emotional interest of the girl in the film. They look painfully young here, but were fully achieved actors already.
The action story is quite standard, sure we have seen much better and thrilling since, but the quality of the film resides in the feeling of adventure it radiates, in the exquisite choice of many of the locations and in the sincerity and charm of the relation between the characters. There are a few more French films of the time that have a similar quality and memorable scenes of friendship which push them over the average conventional level of the commercial European cinema of the time. 'Adieu l'ami' also with Delon is another that comes now to my mind. These movies have still something to say to the cinema fans of today.
