The Great Riviera Bank Robbery

First thing to bear in mind is that there are actually TWO movies ,made at the same time,dealing with the same subject :a true life event of ex-firebrands using the sewers to rob a bank.

-The French version,made by Jose Giovanni , ("les egouts du paradis" = sewers of paradise (sic))which kept the hero's real name but is rather listless. The "hero" becomes a nice guy ,some kind of Arsene Lupin,who visits the old ladies in the hospital.

-The English version,which features a best lead (Ian McShane billed as "Brain") and seems more honest.Far from being heroes,like in Giovanni's flick,the characters are fascists (anti communist) and their paramilitary activities are not passed over in silence :in the French attempt,all they show is weapons in the thieves' den in the country.

This movie was released on VHS back in the 1980's, and is very difficult to find (at least in N. America). I really hope a DVD edition comes out soon. Excellent movie! By chance, right after I saw it, The Learning Channel (TLC) aired a special called "Daring Capers: Plunder Under Nice". The movie was very accurate and realistic. It's nice to see a movie without Tom Cruise heroics. I would rate it 9-out-of-10.

Caught this on Talking Pictures under the awful title, Sewers of Gold.

Really surprised how good it was, and how good Ian McShane was (much better than Lovejoy).

The cast is a veritable who's who of 1970s British support actors, quite a few appeared in episodes of The Sweeney.

The film had that feel to it, although from the robbers viewpoint rather than the police.

Based on a real robbery that took place in France, this film really doesn't try to be French at all. It is all rather English, but that doesn't detract from what is a really good thriller.

A real treat from all the murder mysteries we get fed in 2022. A crime without violence and a drama without sex, drugs and never ending profanities.

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I have seen this film several times and impressed with its sharp action. It almost has a slight documentary feel to it.

I am really surprised this film is not wider known. It was on video several years back, but then withdrawn. I have been begging for a copy for years and hope it will be re released soon.

This film is just perfect. Why it is not available on video is a mystery. It is a great caper film.

I do not know much about the Algerian/French nonsense but the implementation of the bank robbery is done very well.

The politics mean nothing. The crime is the thing.

Planning the operation, getting the help, and then getting away are all you really need for a good caper film.

Yeah, they get caught later but spending the cash is where they catch everyone.

Damn good film.

We need this available once again!