User reviews

I just saw this film in Paris, on TV, in French. Although my French is bad and I didn't understand the dialogue, I loved it. It was easy to understand the relationships between the characters and their love of life, until something happened to change it. It cheered me up when I was very tired. I would love to see it with subtitles - will British TV show it? Alain Delon was irresistible and his co-stars equally good. I am no lover of 1960s movies, but I admit that I haven't explored enough French movies from this period. This experience has encouraged me to see more, if I get the chance. It lacked the "naff" dated quality that some 60s films have - pure class all the way.

This interesting as well as intimate story is a passionate retelling and a touching drama about three friends , two men an a woman ; all of them develop a wonderful friendship . This top-drawer motion picture mingles tenderness , drama , warm humor , emotion and sensibility . It deals with two adventurers and best friends, Roland (Lino Ventura , fetish actor of filmmaker Robert Enrico) , a Grand Prix driver, and Manu (Alain Delon) , a daredevil pilot . Manu is victim of a joke that costs him his pilot's license . The agreeable duo meets Alicia (Joanna Shimkus who subsequently married Sidney Poitier) , a sensitive sculptor who dreams of buying an old fort in Charente-Maritime . With seeming contrition , the jokers tell Roland and Manu about a crashed aircraft lying on the ocean floor off the coast of Congo stuffed with jewels and other riches . The Congo journey results to be a treason , they are double-crossed by the pilot (Serge Reggniani) of the crashed plane and the adventurers must pick up the pieces . Later on , they carry out a voyage to Boyardville , Île d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime, and its island : ¨Fort Boyard¨, (France) , where takes place several adventures and risks . There they are pitted against a pack of human sharks (Guy Delorme , Hand Meyer among others) in a tragic ending .

This exciting film contains romantic elements , brooding drama , intrigue , tragic events and thrills especially on its final part . It packs lingering images in which are narrated the lovely relationship between the amiable Alain Delon and Lino Ventura along with the gorgeous Joanna Simkus , as the three adventurers set off to find a sunk loot . This timeless movie displays haunting and powerful scenes , it's plenty of frames which stay forever in the mind . Romantic thriller that deals with a particular buddy movie between Lino Ventura and Alain Delon , a special relationship among two different characters along with the enticing Joanna Shimkus , turning into a beloved friendship and a marvelous love story . Top notch performance from protagonist trio , Lino Ventura as the tough as well as sensible driver , Alain Delon as a valiant pilot and special mention to Joanna Shimkus as Laetitia , an artistic young woman who treats them like brothers . Lively musical score by Francois Roubaix is enjoyable and cheerful , full of piano sounds and whistles , including catching leitmotif . Colorful and shimmer cinematography filmed on location in Boyardville, Île d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime, and Fort Boyard, Charente France .

The motion picture was stunningly written and directed by Robert Enrico , being based on an excellent novel by Jose Giovanni , a notorious writer and filmmaker . Enrico started directing short movies , as his shorts gave him critical acclaim very early in his career. Having become the maker of popular movies after an arty debut, he was awarded the best movie "César" for "Le vieux Fusil" or ¨Old gun¨ before becoming the long-time president of "L'Académie des Césars". He was a good professional who directed interesting films as ¨Jailsbird vacation¨ , ¨Le secret¨ ,¨Rum Runners¨, ¨The wise guys¨ , ¨An occurrence at Owl Creek¨ and his masterpiece ¨The adventurers¨ . Rating : 7,5 , better than average. Worthwhile watching . The film will appeal to French cinema lovers .

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.

I saw this movie in Viet Nam in the open air. It impressed me because of the beautiful scenery, photography and story line. I followed this picture from compound to compound and saw it several times . It was an island, a bit of paradise in an otherwise brutal setting. I will never forget this movie even though I have not seen it in over 30 years.

Wholly enjoyable. Really liked the relationship between the characters, it was shot well and incredibly picturesque; the music is wonderful too. But, it suffers from "corny" dialogue and some rough pacing. But it is decent enough :)

Films which have achieved the dubious distinction of 'cult' status are either far from great or do not represent the best of a particular director. This film of Roberto Enrico is a case in point. It is not a bad film by any means but is neither as well scripted nor as well constructed as others from the same director.

One has only to read reviews on IMDb to realise that this film has struck an emotional chord and captured the imagination although one viewer's declaration that it is 'the best film ever made' is of course utter nonsense.

It is essentially a 'buddy' movie and its success must surely be due to the fact that the buddies are played by Alain Delon and Lino Ventura, two charismatic stars who gel as a duo and possess that indefinable quality that makes us care what happens to them. Their testosterone is balanced by the oestrogen of photogenic former fashion model Joanna Shimkus.

The narrative is rather aimless and the plot absurd but the dynamic between the trio maintains our interest. There is a lovely score by Enrico's preferred composer Francois de Roubaix whilst the location cinematography by Jean Bofferty, especially that of Fort Boyard, the delapidated Napoleonic sea fortress, is splendid. The burial at sea is the scene that lingers longest.

The main appeal of the film lies in the free-spirited nature of Manu, Roland and Laetitia but also serves as a poignant reminder that freedom comes at a price.

"Your Honor, the opposition can't prove I watched this just because it has a young Alain Delon in it. Please, have mercy."

That aside, this is a solid enough adventure movie, doing most things right, only a small number of things wrong here and there, but also never quite crossing over into territory where it would start to feel exceptional.

It introduces three engaging characters, establishes their financial woes (they'll be relatable to 99% of people living today I guess), and then gives them a clear goal.

The character dynamics and complications along the way keep things interesting (as they should), and though it's not always smooth-sailing (the dance they do together before setting off to Africa was a choice), it's generally a pretty good Adventure.

...the first one being the unsurpassed "Au Coeur De La Vie"

Released when the nouvelle vague was à la mode and when critics did not care for the others (=who were not part of the Godard clique),"les adventurers " has stood the test of time remarkably well,so well that (God preserve us) some producers could think of a remake.

Robert Enrico had already directed "les grandes gueules" (1963) which enhanced male friendships in a Vosges Mountains sawmill and is still watchable today thanks to its good cast(Bourvil,Lino Ventura,Marie Dubois),and Enrico's effective directing.But nothing could have predicted "les adventurers" ,which seems today stronger than yesterday,when so many nouvelle vague "oeuvres " are reserved for highbrows and make too many people take to their heels when they hear about French cinema.

"Les adventurers" was based on the first part of a Jose Giovanni novel(who had written Becker's "le trou";Giovanni himself transferred the second part to the screen as "la loi du survivant").When it was released ,it was a huge popular success,but the critics were a bit condescending.

The Delon/Ventura/Shimkus threesome shines .They are true raiders ,in a way Indiana Jones is not:they have something to lose ,and they are human beings of flesh and blood.Enrico used the film sets with stunning results.He makes the scrap heap where Leatitia looks for waste material as poetic as the fort surrounded by the sea where the tragedy is resolved.François de Roubaix's extraordinary score enhances the scenes as few musicians can do.

The burial at sea is the most beautiful sequence of the sixties French cinema.I cannot think of a more haunting scene :anybody who has seen it never forgets it.Robert Enrico,who is not regarded as an "important" director in France has nothing to be jealous of his peers here.

A work to rival the best of Huston.

How can any movie be better than 4/10, when there is no discernable plot? Is it Leticia, is it about the search for freedom or self-development, or is it just a silly and blatantly unbelievable crime story? You won't know in the end.

2 lone dreamers (racing car, flying) meet a very sympathetic and lovely, fresh and amusing girl. And after having lost everything, each of them, decide to go for a treasure hunt somewhere off the African coast. Strangely enough, always followed by a gang of brutal gangsters, who, for reasons nobody knows, pursue the trio all the while.

While there is great acting on the side of the three heroines, any plot, any script, that can easily go into the class of 'worst 100 in the history of cinema' can't be judged any better. And subsequently, no real recommendation can be given to watch this. Except you were a fan of Delon, Ventura or Shimkus, that is.

A splash of something fulfilling, moving, romantic, heartbreaking. Robert Enrico is one of the unsung masters of film. His movies are not destined for a Godardian audience but not even the purist film scholar can be indifferent to this. Alain Delon is at his most natural and human. That on its own it's just gorgeous. Lino Ventura is sublime as the older friend who needs the other but at the same time gives him all the freedom in the world because, as it happens with true friends, he want what's best for the other. The entrance of Joanna Shimkus into their lives is totally intoxicating. She doesn't enter to interfere in Delon and Ventura's friendship but to reinforce it. How beautiful! She's perfect. This film deserves a new life. I know it's difficult to find but it's well worth the effort.

This movie is indeed one of the best I have ever seen. It's magic doesn't let you loose until the last picture fades away and still you think "OH - NO!" please don't let that be the end ... Lino Ventura and Alain Delon are the perfect match for this cast! From the sixties though, but as one says, "they don't make such movies any more". Although the movie tells one of those "boy meets girl", "another boy joins them" stories, this one is different. Everything circles around her and it's getting faster and faster. They're goofing around and having lots of fun, the best time of their lives. But when they lose her, their precious toy is gone, which drags them down. That the story has a very sad ending, where our 'hero' loses everything, is obvious, must be obvious from the beginning, still it is very hard to admit - at the end. This movie is a must-see.

The film has many pleasures - a wonderful score, a barnstorming biplane, a funny car (with an even funnier-looking driver), a Paris art show, and a nifty fortress in the middle of the ocean. Alain Delon is always a pleasure to watch. He plays the arrogant, handsome daredevil with a heart of gold quite convincingly. His acting is always intense, even when he is doing very little. Lino Ventura is terrific as well, and he and Delon are a great pair. Upon reflection their relationship makes little sense (since we are given no history of the two) but it hardly matters when one is watching the film. The relationship between the two men and Laetitia (Joanna Shimkus)is a bit odd but sweet and believable. The locations are wide ranging (Paris, Africa, coastal France) and this film is full of exciting and droll scenes: The discovery of the sunken airplane is beautiful and scary; Roland and Manu walking out of the casino in their suave duds and getting into Roland's tow-truck is hilarious. The greatest pleasure of the film is that the narrative does not necessarily go where one would imagine it would. The version I saw was widescreen and the subtitles were mostly in the lower black of the letterboxing, which made them very easy to read. If you're in the mood for a little bit of action with a lot of good characterization and acting, check this one out.

PS: The French seem pretty hung up with threesomes, no?

A cult classic. My personal first of cult movies. I had friends who saw it over 30 times and I clearly remember its last screening in Hungary. Ignoring all fire regulations, the manager of the theatre let in everybody who showed up. I was standing in a crowd. Like all cult movies, it speaks the angst of its time. It does not really matter what it is about, what matters is how it feels. It is difficult for me to judge it now because it still touches me and I do not know how much of that is just the nostalgic longing for the angst of my youth. Neither do I know if it is possible for someone who did not live through the sixties to relate to it. Or if it can talk to American viewers.

Cult movies can seldom be called cinematographic achievements; you will seldom find them in the books of film history, but if you want to understand the times they represent, nothing can replace them. This IS the movie of the sixties just as Easy Rider was the movie of the seventies.

A definite must see.

If you wish to know -or, to remember- that our world was once upon a time a beautiful and healthy one, please, would you like to taste -again- this excellent masterpiece...

Alain Delon, that Apollon of the Seventh Art, is in one of the best actings and appearances; he is simply wonderful again.

Lino Ventura is just the man needed for this masterpiece.

Joanna Shimkus -Laetitia- will remain, forever, in your mind after this masterpiece.

The soundtrack is too unforgettable. You can be sure that you will always hear in your soul the Song of Laetitia.

And, though Robert Enrico is not a very celebrated director,you will see also that he should be.

10 bright stars for Les Aventuriers...

In my view, one of the taglines of this movie is aspiration of human nature for 'exploring new horizons' - it doesn't matter where - in performing a stunt with the small plane, in building a novel racing car engine, in establishing a new art direction, in finding something on the bottom of the sea - that may not exist... You may recall how Laetitia looses interest in her dancing partner when he indicates that he doesn't know why all these things are needed.

You may not guess what a masterpiece you are watching at the beginning. but as the powerful drama unfolds, you get more and more involved,until the last shot of the last scene.

It is a huge basket with fruits. Dreams and games of childhood, reflected by treasure and fortress, splendid chemistry between Lino Ventura and Alain Delon, few drops of romance and great portrait of friendship, humor and extravagance, fights and deaths, a boy, guide of a local museum, a dromader with a noble name associated, bad guys.

Short, a large window opened in early morning.

Clear masterpiece from Robert Enrico which should appear in top 100, and doesn't just because of lack of information. Les Aventuriers is the kind of film that is absolutely unique and no replica can parallel it at all. Wonderful scenes under the sun in the beautiful sea are indeed touching; I can hardly think of anyone who does not long with full heart living through such situations of love, friendship and natural beauty. Life, of course, reserves this for a few ones. For those who did not know, this film has been (at long last) released in DVD in France in 2007 as a commemoration for its 40th anniversary. It is spoken and captioned in French only, but the quality out stands even that of the actual cinema several decades ago; it really surprised me. Even if you do not understand French, keep it at hand to lift your mood on a winter rainy day.

On my last trip to Germany, I was amazed to pick up the brand new Blu-ray release of a favourite film of mine, Robert Enrico's 1967 film Les Aventuriers (original English release title The Last Adventure). Whenever I'm asked which I think is the most underrated, most unjustly forgotten about film, my answer is Les Aventuriers. To my knowledge the film has only been available on DVD in France without any subtitles. This is a film I've been desperate to see again since I caught it several times on TV in my childhood. Last night I finally watched the film again and it still lived up to my memories.

Before I continue I have to say that like so many German releases, this only has optional German subtitles (German title Die Abenteurer) , so the release is only suitable for French and German speakers. Hopefully as there now is an excellent HD transfer available, this means that the film will get released in other countries. Still, I want to write a little bit about the film, because it was the first film I saw that made a huge impression on me.

As the title hints at, this is (at least in part) an adventure film headlining stars Alain Delon and Lino Ventura. Apparently the reason why this film has been forgotten about is because it had nothing to do with the French New Wave which made headlines around the world in the 60s, being a classically made genre film. That said, its central romantic triangle and shifts of plot, tone and genres would have been perfectly at home in a Nouvelle Vague film.

At the heart of the Les Aventuriers is the engaging interplay between its three leads; Delon, Ventura and the beautiful, likable Joanna Shimkus, who had a promising, if all too brief career in the 60s and early 70s (since her retirement, she's mainly been known as Mrs Sidney Poitier). The films next asset is a plot that constantly turns unexpected corners. There are shifts of tone which the film navigates brilliantly, as it moves from lighthearted comedy, to globe trotting adventure, towards a melancholy last act that pulls the rug from under ones feet. Two thirds into the story, what has been a light hearted comedy adventure so far turns unexpectedly dark and serious, heading towards a downbeat, heartbreaking ending. But then that's exactly the reason why the film has stayed with me and has haunted me ever since.

As to the premise, Shimkus plays a young sculptress who sets up her studio in Ventura's drag racing garage after meeting him collecting scrap metal for her art pieces. Ventura's best friend is Delon, a stunt pilot. Though only subtly hinted at, it becomes clear that both men are attracted to the girl, but neither makes a move out of respect for the other. The girl also is sensitive to the men's friendship, so they have an unspoken agreement for their relationships remain platonic. By not going down the expected romantic route, the film becomes a touching portrait of an equal three way friendship. Instead of jealousies that would have ensued had the girl hooked up with one of the guys, the three friends look out for, care for and support each other. To not become a conventional love story is unexpected for a film that throws France's most handsome male movie star and a beautiful girl into the mix. And that's just the first of many unexpected turns the film has up its sleeve.

When each of the friends suffers a major setback in their individual ventures, they decide to travel to the Congo, where they have found out is a treasure in a sunken plane, due to Delon's dealings with shady business people. There the adventure begins and the film becomes increasingly more unpredictable as our three heroes move into dangerous territory.

Two more aspects that really enhance the film are the beautiful widescreen cinematography by Jean Boffety, as the film moves from a grey suburban Paris, to a sun drenched Africa, to a bleak Southern France. The use of locations is fantastic, with France being far from the glamorous place of Hollywood films, but grey and dismal, in stark contrast to the sun drenched, colourful African scenes. The tremendously stylish score by François de Roubaix is another major asset, with a memorable, whistled theme tune.

Hopefully the fact that the film has been released on Blu in one country will mean that it will become available in other territories. A cult film in Germany, France and Japan, this film is deserving a re-discovery in this country too.