Death of a Corrupt Man

I watched this film for its legendary Stan Getz soundtrack and the mesmerising Ornella Muti. But like the annoying Deer Hunter where the totally virtuous hero will leave no stone unturned for his friend and is afraid of nothing and no one, Delon battles the entire corrupt establishment single handedly and no bullet ever touches him. Actually the Deer Hunter is a lot better than this in that great realism and characterisation is set up in the first half then you have the unrealistic second half. In Delon produced films you usually have him in every single tiresome shot and he is totally invincible, uncorrupted and he has no sexual tenderness or weaknesses. He even did this formula for his son's movies which were tiresome wasted opportunities. I will never forgive how he destroyed Zurlini's masterpiece, Indian Summer, by having it recut and removing the scenes that had other people in it.

This is the second Alain Delon movie I've watched, the first being Purple Noon (I just love the vibe of that film - the aesthetics were phenomenal!). I feel like he doesn't get enough recognition here in the US, although I don't find that surprising. Not trying to imply that I look down on people, but I do think a person needs to possess at least a small amount of sophistication to appreciate his films. Americans generally seek out disturbing, grotesque, jumpscare type of material, like horror and zombie nonsense, or superhero movies. I don't know if foreign films would be of interest to them. I feel like if you haven't seen an Alain Delon movie, then you are really missing out, because not only was his appearance captivating alone, but the storylines were so multi-layered. They challenge you to think critically about the human condition.

A fascinating political thriller, Alain Delon is Xavier Maréchal, a lawyer who becomes a detective to investigate the corruption surrounding the murder of of a businessman, Serrano (Charles Moulin) that was committed by his friend, Philippe Dubaye (Maurice Ronet), which propels him into a world of bribes and collusion. There's also the issue of Serrano's diary, which contains all of the information referencing his illegal activities. Xavier manages to obtain that and other incriminating documents, subsequently placing him in a position of dodging law enforcement and criminals.

If you ever have some free time on an evening, this film is definitely worth checking out - it's so easy to get invested into the characters.

The doorbell rings twice, then Delon wake up, open the door where his friend a politician come in and tells him that committed a murder to takes a deadly files which was been blackmailed by an assistent having to kill him, that's the opening this fabulous french movie, besides those files contains several powerful politics of a high level of the government, bribery scandals unleashed many bodies along the way, an intricate net of corrupted politicians are in danger under those hot files, even reaching at state department which includes the Minister of justice himself, the police splited in two separate investigating were on relentless pursuit.

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First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

When Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal (Alain Delon) is awaken by his old friend Deputy Philippe Dubaye (Maurice Ronet), he learns that Philippe has killed the also politician Serrano (Charles Moulin) that has a dossier with documents proving the corruption of several politicians and businessmen including Philippe and was blackmailing him. Xavier accepts to provide an alibi to his friend and to follow the investigation to help Phillippe, who has stolen the dossier. But soon Xavier finds that a network of powerful men wants to retrieve the documents and he has to run to survive.

"Mort d'un pourri", a.k.a. "Death of a Corrupt Man", is a thriller based on politics and the related corruption of the Powers That Be. The plot is full of action with a hopeless conclusion. The beauty of Ornella Muti is impressive. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Morte de um Corrupto" ("The Death of a Corrupt Man")

"The Death of a Corrupt Man" is an outstanding French thriller with elements of the political and psych thriller, gangster movies and the typical conspiracy films of the seventies. Casted with some of the best European actors of that time - Alain Delon, Ornela Muti, Stephane Audran, Mireille Darc and madman Klaus Kinski - it tells the story of a big conspiracy with a corrupt politician getting rid of all his opponents. Now it's lawyer Alain Delon's turn to fight the power. Of course he's becoming the target of some killers soon, a wild hunt begins where several people lose their lives until Delon finds the real villain. The pacing is fast, the plot twisted and thrilling, and the really good actors and clever direction add much impact to this powerful thriller with some furious action scenes including a great truck chase. If you get a video or DVD copy of that film or find it in your TV guide, watch it!