The Sicilian Clan (1969)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Sicilian Clan (1969) – H. Verneuil

Who could resist the promise of a French heist movie starring Alain Delon, Jean Gabin, and Lino Ventura (with a soundtrack from Ennio Morricone to boot)?  Not me – but alas, the promise only leads to an average genre pic, which is disappointing when you’ve been exposed to the (better) films of Jean-Pierre Melville.  Delon is in his prime as a vicious thief who escapes from a prison van and then plots to rob a travelling jewelry exhibition.  He is aided by the titular Sicilian family, led by Gabin (in pre-Godfather mode).  He is tracked by police commissioner Ventura.  The plot has some twists – yet, somehow it doesn’t feel tight enough.  Director Henri Verneuil lets the suspense drain away or doesn’t build it properly.  Still, there are plenty of classic moments (some might say clichés), such as Ventura trying to quit smoking but struggling due to the stress of the case, Delon almost getting nabbed while visiting a prostitute, Gabin politely and stoically accepting his lot.  Of course, the Thirties was Gabin’s decade (with a great later turn in Touchez Pas au Grisbi in 1954, already the gangster ready for retirement) and Delon (Le Samouraï, 1967; Le Cercle Rouge, 1970) and Ventura (Le Deuxième Souffle, 1966; Army of Shadows, 1969) had better roles for Melville.  But if you are jonesing for this genre, this is certainly more than passable fare.